Everyone loves those weird online quizzes with titles like “Would You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?” or “Which Disney Princess Are You?” (Ariel, in case you were curious). Those quizzes are always fun, but obviously they don’t have a lot of merit - unless it is your dream to be an actual Disney princess. Also popular are the ones about careers, but once again those quizzes can be pretty superficial. In order to take tests that actually guide you to a possible career path, you usually have to pay good money just to get your results! But as a UMBC student, you have access to several in-depth, personalized career exploration tools to help you realize your full potential! Whether you have absolutely no idea what you want to do with your life (me), or you just want to explore options you might not have previously known existed, there is a plethora of information to be gained from these tools.
If you still really love those fast online quizzes, you will not be disappointed: The Traitify is a super quick and easy quiz that you can even do on your phone. It simply shows you several images and you either choose “me” or “not me”. The results show you how well you fit into categories like inventor, analyser, or action-taker. It also gives you a list of careers that match your results!
If you are looking for something more in-depth that asks you real questions and gives you much more comprehensive results, the FOCUS2 is right for you! This assessment takes about 30 minutes, but it is totally worth it. You complete five inventories - work interest, values, personality, skills, and leisure. After each inventory it provides you with a list of careers that match your results, and after completing all five it combines all of the tests together to show you which careers are the best fit for who you are overall. It also has exploration tools like “What can I do with my major?” or “Compare two occupations side by side”.
Many of you may have already heard of the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI) because it is the most widely used personality test in the world. It’s very possible that you’ve taken an abridged or simplified version of the test, but the one provided by the career center is the real deal. Your results come in the form of four letters, each telling you important information about where your energy comes from, how you perceive information, how you make decisions, and what kind of environment you work best in.
If you are still very unsure about your career goals, the Career Center has tons of resources for you. After completing any of these three assessments, you can make an appointment with a career specialist to talk about and interpret your results rather than just reading them on a screen. Our website has a whole page of Career and Major Exploration tools to help you along. Lastly, we have an upcoming Keys to Success workshop all about career and personality assessments! On October 30th at noon in Commons 331, you can learn more about these tests and what they can mean for your future, or even how you work in any of your current positions. Leave a comment below telling your story, whether you are still figuring these things out, or if you’ve taken these tests and have opinions, or just want to share your results!
Name:Elaine Yang
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Erickson Living
Position Title:Central Billing Operations Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Health Administration and Policy
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
Erickson Living is a network of communities in 11 states currently serving over 24,000 senior residents. At Erickson Living, I am currently in the Central Billing Operations department. This department is the liaison between the providers of services, insurances and other payers and residents. Daily tasks include claims resolution, problem solving, insurance mitigation, and so much more.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I heard of Erickson Living through one of my Management of Aging Services classes. One of the Executive Directors from one of the communities came to speak in my class and inspired me to want to work in this field. I spoke to my internship advisor, visited the career center, contacted the Erickson Living HR and had a phone interview with their management. Not too long after the phone interview and talk with my internship advisor, I was on my way to interning at Erickson Living.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I absolutely love the organization and its commitment to a quality life for their residents. My position works on the backend of operations, which I enjoy because it allows the residents to access the care that they need, with ease.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe that my work in the Central Billing Operations department will assist with helping make the workflow more efficient while utilizing people to their maximum potential.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Always attend class when there is a guest speaker, especially if the class is in a field that you are interested because you never know, those conversations could lead to careers of a lifetime.
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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!
Interested in a career in medicine? Consider working as a medical scribe with ScribeAmerica!
What does a medical scribe do?
The role of a scribe is to closely collaborate with their assigned physician by documenting the history of each patient evaluated, the doctor’s physical examination, the results of laboratory/radiological studies ordered, and the eventual diagnosis and disposition. Becoming a scribe provides the student with first rate exposure to medical terminology, disease processes, emergency procedures, medications, and the medical decision making process performed by the physicians.
What does it take to be a medical scribe?
This job involves complex of the material and fast-paced environment necessitate that only the sharpest and most motivated students succeed as a scribe. ScribeAmerica seeks dependable and hard working employees that have a desire for an eventual career in medicine, or are interested in learning more about careers in medicine.
Hours:
There are multiple shifts, both day and night and each shift consists of following a single physician, usually lasting 8-12 hours. It is expected that each scribe can commit to 2 shifts per week for at least 2 years.
Paid classroom & clinical training is provided.
ScribeAmerica hires and trains anyone interested in a career in medicine. Paid classroom and clinical training in the medical department to prepare applicants to be medical scribes is provided.
Apply via ScribeAmerica
To apply, visit Scribe America's at: www.ScribeAmerica.com/apply.
As a junior in college, I have crossed the threshold from “You have all the time in the world!” into “What are you going to do after you graduate?”, and the scary truth is I’m not entirely sure yet. But I know that I’m not alone in this. A lot of people have a plan that involves joining the workforce immediately after college, and those people have a little more time before they really have to start making decisions. But for me and a lot of other students, graduate school is on the horizon. And we have to start thinking about that NOW. But how do you know where to start?
I promise this post is not all doom and gloom. But I want to make it clear that it’s okay to be worried and scared! It’s natural, just like how scared we were when making the transition from high school to college. The cure for the fear is to get prepared and use your resources. And - as always - the Career Center is here to save the day! That’s right, we don’t just do careers, we also have services to get students ready for graduate school! So if you’re even vaguely considering continuing your education post-graduation, check out these tools:
Maybe you’re not even sure if you should go to graduate school. As a psychology major, it is essential that I go to graduate school and gain a more specialized degree so that I have the qualifications to work with target populations in a clinical setting. But, there are different types of graduate degrees! Do you want a master’s, doctorate, or professional degree? To better weigh your options, look over this page: “Is Graduate School the Best Option?”
If you plan on seeking a graduate degree but you’re unsure about your desired field, it’s important to decide what is best for YOU. Just like searching for a undergraduate program, finding the right graduate program involves many different factors including research opportunities, the possibility of relocation, and job search support available at those institutions. This page about Selecting the Best Graduate Program for You includes several links to other great websites to help you investigate what programs are out there and what they have to offer.
A very reasonable concern you may have is How to Fund Your Graduate Education. This would be a main reason for students to take a gap year, so they can accrue funds for further education. Many employers will even reimburse your graduate expenses if your degree is in a related field. Other programs like AmeriCorps or Teach for America will help fund your advanced degree after a certain amount of service. Within the graduate institution, you can also gain an assistantship which could help with expenses as well as provide hands-on experience in your desired field.
If you’re already on your way to the application process, look at this Timeline for Applying to Graduate School to make sure that you’re on the right track and confident about your applications.
Name: Bradley Ingram
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Burson-Marsteller
Position Title: Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Political Science and Media and Communications Studies
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I am working with the leading global public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller, as a participant in their Harold Burson Summer Internship (HBSI) program. I am specifically working with their firm's grassroots communication subsidiary firm, Direct Impact, who supports clients with localized public relations interests across the country. My work really varied, but usually included tracking media postings, preparing briefings, and coordinating national events with our regional field teams. The HBSI program also provided training opportunities to learn more about the public relations industry and the firm's varying practices, so I got to sit in on a lot of trainings.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I attended a job and networking training through my fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, at our annual officer leadership training. There I met a former participant of the Harold Burson Summer Internship (HBSI) program who told me more about the application process. I then visited their website and applied online. Human Resources contacted me and set up several interviews. I actually submitted my application in late January.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
The positive office culture and the support I have gotten from co-workers to give me a stronger understanding of the public relations industry and the work done by a global public relations agency. Everyone was very open to talk and grab coffee so I could ask them for advice. A unique part of the Harold Burson Summer Internship is that I was assigned a mentor who was a junior-level associate who I worked closely with on all my projects, which really helped me get more comfortable with the office and work.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I have learned that the public relations industry is fast-paced and with many clients needing help at the same time. I believe I have been able to support co-workers by taking on client work and doing my best to be current on the industry to ensure timely and polished products for clients.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Talk to professors and students in your field of study.
Get involved with student organizations as they are a great resource to meet other students pursuing professional work and they give you experience in working with a team.
Don’t hesitate, just apply! Do not think that you are not ready for a position. I did not think I would get this internship, but I presented myself well and just went for it.
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As a tour guide, I always mention on my tours that one of the things that makes UMBC “an honors university” is our emphasis on undergraduate research. I take my tour group up the stairs on the pond side of Meyerhoff so they can see into the big windows and witness first-hand our students conducting important research. No matter what you guys are actually doing in those labs, it looks pretty impressive. I stress that UMBC makes the opportunity of research accessible to all students, in all disciplines. You can get class credit for it, or even get paid to do it! If you’re not sure how to join a research group, or not even sure you want to do research at all, allow me to share some of my personal experiences.
I’ve had two undergraduate research positions, and my first one I actually gained as a second-semester freshman in the linguistics department. At that point, was a linguistics major, and my academic advisor actually offered me the position during one of our meetings. I will say that my experience in that research group helped me figure out what I DON’T want to do. It was actually a great project, I just didn’t feel like it really aligned with my future goals. And honestly, I consider it a great step forward in my personal development, because figuring out what you don’t like is just as important as what finding what you do like!
Now as a psychology major, I have a new research position in the psychology department. You wanna know how I got that one? I looked through the faculty directory of the psychology department, and sent out a bunch of emails asking to join their team. And it worked! The lesson is: you have to go out there and find research, don’t expect it to come to you. I guarantee plenty of professors in your department are doing research, and if you show that kind of initiative and proactivity, they’ll want to have you. Still not convinced about how research can be helpful? Check out this article that actually features a student from Gaithersburg, Maryland!
Maybe you think that you don’t need to do research because you have no plans of doing research after college. I’m in the same boat. I want to use my degree to serve people directly, not work in a lab! But I know that in order to do what I want, I need to get into graduate school, and my application won’t make the cut unless I have some kind of research under my belt. On the other hand, maybe you’re super against the idea of research, but once you try it you find that you love it! Any experience is good experience, so you shouldn't immediately rule out the idea of research because you think it’s not for you.