This is an opportunity to get some insider information and tips from UMBC alum.  Alumni from different majors and fields are willing to answer your questions, give you their perspective on their careers and the paths they took to get there!

Your primary goal is to learn about this person’s career field and his or her background and experiences. You can also ask questions about how to become a competitive candidate in this field.

Your primary goal is to learn about this person’s career field and his or her background and experiences. You can also ask questions about how to become a competitive candidate in this field.

- To get an insider’s perspective on a potential career path.

- To get valuable tips about how to gain entry into this field.

- To enlarge your circle of expert contacts in the area. (Remember, it’s often who you know that gets you the job.)

- To learn about a particular organization, how you might fit in and the employer’s challenges and needs.

The following UMBC alumni have provided their LinkedIn connection so that you can reach out to them:

Emilie Llenado - `12 Industrial Organizational Psychology

Employed at:  Freddie Mac as a Senior Asset Manager

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebell1/

Lindsey Barclay - `10 Cultural Anthropology - `12 Applied Sociology

Employed at:  CollegeTracks as a College Access Director

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybarclay

John Codd - `97 Geography / Certificate in Cartography

Employed at:  DC Government as an Appraiser/GIS Coordinator

LinkedIn Link:  www.linkedin.com/in/john-g-codd-geoinfo

Gabriel Spiro - `12 History/Political Science - `20 Public History

Employed at:  Peake as an Event Coordinator

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielspiro/

Chang Chen - `16 Computer Science

Employed at:  Comcast as a Product Manager

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chang-c-19452a83/

Autumn Patterson - `00 American Studies

Employed at:  Northwest Area Foundation as an IT Strategy & Solutions Manager

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumnpatterson/

Marian White - `87 Information Systems Management

Employed at:  The Refinery – Owner/President

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianwhite

Chien Zhou - `18 Financial Economics

Employed at:  Lockheed Martin as an Associate Financial Analyst

LinkedIn Link:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chienzhou

Monday, 10/28/2019, 12:00 to 1:00 pm
University Center 310

Interested in learning about various chemical and mechanical engineering career paths? UMBC’s Career Center is hosting a panel. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with professionals in these fields and gain insight on their career paths and what you can do now to prepare!

No RSVP required.

Please note: UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors.  If you would like to request accommodations (e.g., ASL interpreters, captioning, wheelchair access, etc.) for this event due to a disability, please notify us at least two weeks prior to the event. Requests received after that time cannot be guaranteed, but we will do our best to make arrangements for program access. Please contact the event host (careers@umbc.edu) with your specific request and be sure to include the event title, date, and time.    

Name: Sushmitha Macheri

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: The Hilltop Institute

Position Title: Graduate Student Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Information Systems

Current Class Level: Graduate Student

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I was hired to assist the Hilltop Institute with tasks that involved databases. My mornings involved analyzing our security logs to look out for any suspicious activity in our network. I was also assigned to automate this process so that in the future we can look at the visualizations and not a csv file. I also worked with other programmers and assisted them with any SQL related tasks. Additionally, I was assigned to analyze SAS programs and create documents and Data Flow Diagrams that would help non-programmers and our client to understand how the data has been segregated and stored in our databases. My internship was extended and I am now working as a Graduate Research Assistant for the same organization. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I applied for the position online. In my first interview, I was asked about almost every detail from my resume. Then, I had an interview with the Executive Director and the Chief of Staff. After this, I had a test for a programming language, SQL. I prepared for this by using HackerRank, a website that lets you practice for coding interviews, and my lecture notes. I was extended an offer after I cleared these rounds.

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

For most of my internship, I was the only one working on the project; this responsibility gave me the opportunity to grow as a programmer and expand my skills, while also giving me the freedom to use my creativity. Later on, I transitioned to a team and had to collaborate with others. During these experiences, I learned a lot about how to efficiently perform an assigned task and work with a group to create a cohesive project!

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I had a lot of responsibility since most of the time I was the sole contributor, with of course guidance from my supervisor who was always pushing me to achieve more. Because of this, I was able to improve with every deliverable and secure my new assistantship!

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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!

Name: Shrijana Khanal

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Brookings Institution

Position Title: Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Economics

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

This summer, I interned at The Brookings Institution, a think-tank in Washington, D.C. that conducts research in the social science field focusing on economics, foreign policy, governance, metropolitan policy, and the global economy. I was part of the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. I worked as an intern under Senior Fellow John McArthur to conduct research, collect and analyze data regarding how powerful Canada is, in eight categories (Economic resources, Military capability, Resilience, Future resources, Diplomatic influence, Economic relationships, Defence networks, and Cultural influence) through the published work of the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index. I was able to replicate the Lowy Institute Asia’s methodology to calculate Canada's power score and finished a 10-page report, which detailed my research and the data mining process. At the internship, I also collected data for the Southeast Asia Korea US Aid Project. Lastly, I helped organize and plan the Brookings Blum Roundtable, an annual forum for global leaders such as John Allen and Madeleine Albright to explore various facets of global poverty with a focus on how technology and innovation promotes economic growth. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I heard about the position through different outlets: the Sondheim Scholars Program, Dr. Mitch (the department chair of the Economics Department at UMBC), and the Career Center. I applied through myUMBC, submitting my resume, transcript, cover letter, and writing sample around March. Afterwards, I completed a phone call interview with Brookings, which went well. Weeks later, I received an email instructing me to complete a background check and submit two letters of recommendation. Then, I finally got the offer letter!

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

This internship has a very special place in my heart because it revealed the power of data and ignited my passion for data science and statistics. I became exposed to the power of big data and how I can combine my interest in economics and math. On a personal note, the other thing I enjoyed the most about my internship was the connections I made with my supervisor and my fellow interns. My supervisor was a great mentor who helped me become a better writer, a better researcher, and a better learner. He gave me a lot of insight into the directions that I could take my career. The friends that I made at the internship will remain in my life forever because we all learned a lot from each other and supported each other’s goals. And finally, living in the heart of our nation’s capital was a life-changing experience. D.C. is so diverse and I hope to work there one day!

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

At the beginning of my internship, I was feeling somewhat discouraged because I could not see the big picture of my project. However, through the amazing mentorship of my supervisor and the connections I fostered with the other interns, I was able to see the impact of my work by talking more about my research with others and seeing other indexes like the Global Hunger Index or the Human Development Index, which portrayed similar work. Through my research about Canada, my supervisor will be able to see the strengths and weaknesses in Canada's power, which will help dissect Canada's role in the US-China Trade war. 

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

I would tell everyone to network, no matter how uncomfortable it may make you feel. 

And to remember that the 9AM-5PM lifestyle might take you a while to adjust to; therefore, prioritizing self-care is just as important as focusing on your professional growth. 

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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!

Name: Rusif Eyvazli

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Food and Drug Administration

Position Title: Student Trainee (Administrative Support)

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

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

This summer, I started my internship with the Pathways Program at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is an administration that is responsible for protecting public health. It is still an ongoing opportunity. My day-to-day responsibilities are to make sure that my learning objectives are met by completing the given tasks by my mentors. Those tasks include scaling applications that are written in Java and C++ on HPC clusters, understanding and analyzing the given data and creating a sample of it, and generating comprehensive performance graphs with non-trivial plots using given data on Python to analyze HPC Cluster systems that help applications run faster. 

I also have to regularly share my progress with my mentors, get feedback on projects, and update the FDA Wiki page to make it accessible for others.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I discovered this position through USAJOBS. I had previously received a lot of interview and resume training through workshops and professional development sessions. I had my resume reviewed by Jennifer Heilman from the Career Center and worked on a 30-second elevator pitch with her as well. 

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

I have enjoyed being able to learn more about the computer science industry and develop new skills throughout my day-to-day work. I have also enjoyed meeting people who have helped me foster these skills and be successful throughout the internship. 

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

I would advise students seeking employment to network! Be sure to make those connections and gain knowledge by communicating with other people. Sometimes the best way to get a foot in the door is to sneak in with someone else. Also, the Career Center is a great tool to help jump start your career, so take advantage of those resources!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

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!

Connect with Rusif:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rusifeyvazli

Personal Website: https://eyvazlirusif.wixsite.com/portfolio

Instagram: @rusif.e99

Name: Warren Leggett

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Schneider Electric

Position Title: Pre-Construction Engineer Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Mechanical Engineering

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

My day-to-day tasks can be anything between rendering cost estimates on a control system, to being in the field at a job site working on the systems hardware. Most of my work has focused on the design of control systems such as HVAC and other building automation systems. I have also had the opportunity to work on advanced projects that have required data and design analysis.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I discovered this position through UMBCworks. I had previously received a lot of interview and resume training through workshops and professional development sessions hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), so I was well prepared for the interview process.

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

I have enjoyed being able to learn more about the industry and develop new skills throughout my day-to-day work. I have also enjoyed meeting people who have helped me foster these skills and be successful throughout the internship. 

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

I would advise students seeking employment to network! Make those connections and gain knowledge through communicating with other people. Sometimes the best way to get a foot in the door is to sneak in with someone else. Also, the Career Center is a great tool to help jump start your career, so take advantage of those resources!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

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!