Name: Laquazia Bell

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Independent Can

Major(s)/Minor(s): Mathematics; Acturarial Track

Expected Graduation Year: 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

As the lithography technical intern at Independent Can my first project is to find the main causes to Lost Time on their 6-unit press. Currently I have found all issues, narrowed the list to 3 main issues to focus on, determined their root causes, and now I am brainstorming and researching on solutions to eliminate or minimize Lost Time.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I live in an area that is home to many industrial companies. I looked through Google Maps to search the companies in my immediate area since I am limited by my mode of transportation. I narrowed the companies down to ones I'd be interested in and visited their web pages or searched through various job search engines to see if they had any job postings. On independent cans website I found the posting for the internship I now have and applied. To prepare for my interview I was unaware of the mock interview I could have gotten through the school. Instead to prepare I used resources another company I applied with, Accountemps, had online that gave advice on how to prepare for interviews. It was incredibly helpful and made me feel and look a bit more prepared and competent during my interview.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Career Center, UMBCworks

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

The open atmosphere. It is my first position in a professional setting and I appreciate that at Independent Can. I am able to wean myself into the business instead of being thrust into it.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

Time to build myself. Right now I am tasked to come up with solutions to the issues that I have found, I have a deadline but I am given plenty of room to think, everyone makes me feel comfortable enough to ask the questions I need answered in order for me to come to conclusions, regardless how tedious my questioning.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

If you can, take the time to ask the questions you need to get your job done right. It's an internship and we're supposed to be learning so when we start our careers we're prepared.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

Living in a how-its-made episode everyday while learning the basics for my future career.

Susan Hindle

Role at the UMBC Career Center: I help students majoring in life sciences make themselves competitive candidates for jobs and internships.

 Q: Where have you earned your college degrees?

A: I hold a M.S. from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. from University of Maryland.

Q: What program(s) did you study? How did you choose your major?

A: I majored in Elementary Education as an undergraduate.   My roommate who was studying to be a teacher and knew I was unhappy with my major, said to me one day, “Have you ever considered being a teacher?”  It was the one major I had not considered!  My journey back then mirrors that of many others with whom I’ve worked with over the years – finding their way through trial and error.   It never occurred to me to seek guidance from a professional! 

I later decided to pursue my master’s degree but, unlike my undergraduate degree where I stumbled onto my major, I sought the guidance of a career counselor.  That experience was through an interesting twist of fate, I was offered a full-time position at JHU’s Career Center while pursing my counseling degree.  Upon the completion of my degree, I transitioned into the role of career counselor.

Q: Tell me about the job and internship process when you were in college. Were you able to find job/internship positions that were related to your major or your career interests?

A: UMD had established relationships with local counties so it was easy to find a placement for my student teaching internship. Upon graduation, UMD held a job consortium for education majors where representatives from various counties came to interview students.

For my master’s, I participated in an internship at a family counseling center in Catonsville, MD.  Once again, JHU had established relationships with various counseling centers in the Baltimore region, which made finding a placement easy.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A: I can’t say there is one best piece of advice I have received.  My greatest lessons have come from life experiences.  One thing I’ve learned over the years is that, while you may not be able to change your circumstances or what happens to you, you have control over how you respond.  I believe how we choose to think about and respond to events shapes our destiny more than any other factor. 

Q: Why should students visit the Career Center?

A: I view one’s career as a journey, not a destination -- an ever-changing canvas that one must continually adapt to.  The Career Center's mission is to help people navigate their way – much like a compass to a traveler.  While you may find your way without our guidance, much like I did early on in my career -- through trial and error -- there is an easier way!  And no matter where you are along your career path, the Career Center can provide the guidance you need when you need it.

Q: What is your favorite aspect about UMBC?

A: UMBC is such a dynamic place to work, it’s difficult to choose one thing. But one thing that stands out is that it is a place where ideas are welcome and where collaboration is encouraged – at all levels.

Q: What is one item on your bucket list?

A: After seeing "Riverdance", I fell in love with Irish dancing.  I would love to learn how to Irish dance!

Q: What is one aspect of the DC/Baltimore area that you often explore?

A: Our family enjoys spending time visiting historic sites and museums in Baltimore and DC.  We also love hiking Patapsco Valley State Park.  The park is in our back yard and we hike there year-round.

Want to connect with Susan or any of our great Career Center team? Call our office at 410-455-2216 or check out our contact us page here: http://careers.umbc.edu/aboutus/

Joan Allen

Role at the UMBC Career Center: I coordinate employer recruiting activities.

Q: What program(s) did you study? How did you choose your major?

A: Business.  I enjoyed detailed work.

Q: Tell me about the job and internship process when you were in college. Were you able to find job/internship positions that were related to your major or your career interests?

A: I participated in a work study program in which I had the opportunity to work at an insurance company in Baltimore.  I was able to not learn many business and administrative processes but was also able to realize that I thrived in this type of environment.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A: It is your attitude, not your aptitude.

Q: Why should students visit the Career Center?

A: There are a hundred reasons the least of which is to receive the service or advice personalized for you.

Q: What is your favorite aspect about UMBC?

A: Supportive, positive, community vibe. 

Q: What is one item on your bucket list?

A: Castle tour in Europe.

Q: What is one aspect of the DC/Baltimore area that you often explore?

A: Downtown Baltimore restaurants and DC museums.

Want to connect with Joan or any of our great Career Center team? Call our office at 410-455-2216 or check out our contact us page here: http://careers.umbc.edu/aboutus/

How to Write a Personal Statement for Summer Research

The Purpose of a Personal Statement 

First Steps

The Basics

Experience in the Field

Your Proposed Contributions to the Program

When you have finished drafting your statement, ask yourself:

Some common mistakes to avoid:

Name: Stephen Moore

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: GE Oil & Gas

Major(s)/Minor(s): Computer Engineering, Mathematics

Expected Graduation Year: May 2015

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

As an ITLP intern, I was tasked with managing my own goals for the summer. Examples include developing a new project methodology to use as a standard, contributing to staff meetings and developing new websites, applications and tools for the office.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

My interview with General Electric was set up through UMBCworks. That single, in-depth interview was followed up immediately with an official offer.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

UMBCworks

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

Working at GE has been a very diverse experience. I was entrusted with tasks that made a significant impact on the office I was involved with. Being able to gain real experience in project management and product development was a fantastic part of my internship.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

The trust GE places in us interns was astounding. I was treated as a fellow manager instead of "The Intern." This unique atmosphere was something I have not experienced anywhere else. As such, it allowed me to gain experience working in a high-risk position with actual responsibilities - something that most internships do not offer.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

If you are interested in joining the ITLP program, enter it with an open and inquisitive mind. There are no set tasks for you to perform, no standard job responsibilities to fulfill; this is a position wherein you define what you want to take away from GE.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

I received an email about an interview that I "may find interesting," and decided to follow up. That surprise interview turned into my most rewarding summer yet and changed my entire job outlook for when I graduate. So yeah, that was pretty cool.