Dear Students,
First, I hope you and your family are in good health. During these uncertain times, you may naturally have concerns about your career plans, especially if you are participating in an internship or transitioning into the workforce after graduation. I want to make sure that you all know that our Career Center team is here for you.
Although the road ahead may not be easy, times of historic change can also be times of personal change and betterment.
There
is no need to hit pause on your job or internship search. Practicing self care
and staying proactive and positive can go a long way to reducing stress and can
set you up to be ahead of the game when the dust settles. Remember that you are
not alone and that many students are sharing a similar experience. Reflect on
your values and career aspirations while taking some proactive steps:
Meet virtually with a UMBC Career Specialist.
Schedule a phone or virtual appointment with a career specialist
via UMBCworks. We support a multitude of appointments
including resume reviews, job/internship search assistance, interview prep,
graduate school assistance, and major decision making.Sometimes uncertainty can stop you in your tracks.
Meeting with one of our career specialists can reduce stress and reinvigorate
your career planning.
Update your resumé or curriculum vitae (CV).
Fine
tune this document by relaying your personal brand and experience, and consider
adding remote capabilities and tools to the skills and project descriptions.
Master LinkedIn and expand your network.
This
is the time to spruce up your profile and become a LinkedIn expert. Update your
summary and let recruiters know you are interested and looking for
opportunities. Connect with professionals in your field along with UMBC alumni for
career advice. Over 68,000 alumni are currently on LinkedIn.
Continue to apply to internships and jobs.
Research industries and companies that are hiring now, such as those in the following article published by The Muse. Log into UMBCWorks and check out what jobs and internships are available including remote options.
Perfect your interview techniques - practice makes perfect.
Right
now, you may have extra time, so become a great interviewee. Check out the Career Center website and use free tools such as Big Interview to
become an interview pro.
Attend virtual Career Center events.
Speak
face-to-face with employers via virtual information sessions, webinars, and
upcoming major specific recruiting events. April is Career Month and the list
of programs continues to grow.
Follow up on your applications.
Several
employers are
continuing to review their intern and entry-level hiring plans making decisions
to move positions to remote work, delay start dates or, unfortunately, cancel
their programs.It is important to reach out to employers, but use empathy in
your follow-ups to check in on your status.
Develop multiple career plans- A, B, and C.
Reflect
on your values and the dreams that inspire you. If your first-choice
opportunity is no longer available, consider alternatives to boost your
experience and marketability. Have the courage to create a new set of ideas
about what’s possible. Could you propose a virtual internship, start
freelancing online, conduct an independent research project, or build
career-relevant skills through graduate studies, certificates, or online
learning platforms? Reflect
on your options and schedule a virtual
appointment with one of our career specialists for additional guidance.
About
a year ago, Lorraine Mirabella wrote a Baltimore
Sun article, “Get ready for Gen Z, employers. First hint: They're not
millennials.” Mirabella shared:
The first wave of Generation Z, those born
after 1996 and more than 60 million strong, will start moving from college to
career this year. These newest workers are … independent, pragmatic and super-connected.
I am
confident that these three qualities, along with your UMBC grit will position
you well in this extraordinary time.
Sincerely,
Christine Routzahn
Director
UMBC Career Center
]]>Global Pathways for Students (GPS) program connects 20 - 25 globally minded, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors to international companies here in Baltimore. The program aims to expose these students to a wide array of companies, careers, and opportunities in international business. The goal is to keep global talent local and to help these students build their professional networks. Due to current conditions, GPS will be virtual for this year’s program and will run from May 27th to June 5th.
We expect the virtual program to offer all of the same transformative content, plus more and we’re extremely excited. Some of this year’s participating companies include: Lockheed Martin, Stanley Black & Decker, Ciena, and McCormick & Company. Here’s a quick video recap highlighting last year’s program.
For more information visit: http://www.wtci.org/gps/. The application deadline is April 30th so please apply sooner than later! There is a $250 program fee, but WTCI is aware of the financial implications of COVID-19 on many students and have scholarships available to subsidize the program cost for students in need.
]]>With all the craziness going on with COVID-19, job searching is a challenge. For now, everything has been moved online, and it’s harder to make a real human connection with other people who may want to hire you when there’s a screen between the two of you. Today, I wanted to talk about the virtual interview and how to perform the best you can. For further tips, check out the Career Center website.
Practice your interviewing skills using Big Interview, our mock interviewing platform. You can get advice on how to answer tricky questions and how interviews are conducted, and you can record yourself answering sample questions and have others rate your answers! If you would like the Career Center to review your interview answers, send a note to interviews@umbc.edu and a Career Peer will watch your video and rate it.
Test your equipment! Make sure your camera and microphone are working before the interview, that way if you need to make a new purchase, you have time to do so.
Dress professionally! Wear appropriate business attire for your virtual interview. Not only can your interviewers see your professionalism based on what you are wearing, but it’ll give you a little confidence boost too.
Pick a neutral background! Make sure the background in view of your camera is neutral and not distracting.
Do your research! As with all interviews, be prepared for the questions they might ask, as well as have the knowledge about the company that you need. It is okay to have notes for your interview, just don’t make a script. Organize your notes according to your skill sets with corresponding anecdotes that exemplify those skills.
Sit up straight and smile! You can’t shake the interviewer’s hand, so you need to show enthusiasm and attentiveness through your body language. Sit up straight, but be sure to appear relaxed enough that you don’t seem nervous or tense. Smile at your interviewers when greeting them and at appropriate times throughout the interview.
Finally, look in the direction of the camera, rather than to the side, above it, or below at the interviewers face. That is the best way to simulate eye contact when you can’t be in the room with someone yourself.
These are unprecedented and challenging times we live in, but that doesn’t mean that life should be put on hold. You can still job search and interview during COVID-19, it’ll just all be online! The Career Center is here to help you with every step of the process.
Makayla Gleeson, UMBC Graduate Student and Career Center Career Peer
Although COVID-19 has been a crazy time for everyone, we have been fortunate to have recently hired Anna Pittinger as a new member of the Career Center team. While we are disappointed that we can’t welcome her to UMBC’s physical campus right now, we are excited to have her on board and look forward to having her join us in Math/Psych 201 in the future! Take a look at the profile below to learn a little bit more about Anna.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you go to school?
I am originally from Baltimore Maryland but currently live in Annapolis MD. I went to Baltimore School for the Arts High School and graduated from Towson University with a degree in Sociology and minor in Psychology.
What did you do before coming to the Career Center?
I worked for Hyatt and Marriott Hotels as an Event and Sales Manager. I also worked for some smaller organizations as a Director of Programs and Events. In addition, I enjoy cooking and owned a small Catering Company in Arnold that did small local events.
What will you be working on at UMBC?
Career Services and Events with a focus on service and employer relationships.
What are you most excited about for your new role?
The people at UMBC! The Institution is wonderful- students, staff, employers, alumni, everyone. It is an incredible place to work because of the values and people.
Do you have a secret talent?
I was a dancer at Baltimore School for the Arts when I went to high school there and I love to cook. I was the chef and owner of my own tiny catering business.
What was your first job or internship?
First Job - TJ Maxx.
First Internship - I was and am an Albert Schweitzer Fellow.
How are you spending your COVID-19 quarantine?
Learning more about UMBC, adapting to two children at home and how to assist their awesome teachers “e-teach,” more family time, and exploring things I haven't had time to do before.
Please join us in welcoming Anna to the team! We are so happy to have her with us during this crazy time and even more excited to see her on campus.