Why did we partner with Universum?
Because they rock! They are a global research firm specialized in employer branding. This means they help companies become better at offering the best job offer to students, aligned with what you are truly interested in! In the process, be able to see the aggregated data and check out what you are truly interested in. Check-out last year's national insights here!
Looking for any sort of job is a lot of work. Figuring out what job you want to do, finding applications, and submitting your documents is scary and time consuming, let alone trying to do it while juggling a full course load during midterm season. But luckily, UMBC recognizes all of these challenges (and more you might not be considering) and created their Career Center to guide you through the process.
If you’re not sure what you want to do: Check out our online self assessments! They range from the Traitify (takes about 5 minutes) to the Focus2 (takes about an hour). They’re a great starting point when you’re beginning to explore what you want to do with your life. After you take the assessments, you can schedule an appointment with a Career specialist here at the Career Center to discuss your results and what steps to take next towards your new career goals.
If you don’t know where you want to work: Spend a few minutes (or hours, if you like research like I do) reading up on companies. The Career Center pays for access to Vault, a site that has amazing research and reviews all in one place. If there is a company you particularly like, see if they have any upcoming events hosted by the Career Center. Stop by and chat with representatives about their experiences at work.
If you’re applying to positions: Start with UMBCworks. Use the filters to find jobs you’re interested in (as well as the ones you qualify for). After that, try looking at the links by major to find job sites for your specific field. If you want to learn more about the application process, you can make an appointment with a member of our Internships and Employment team to discuss potential places to apply and how to wow hiring managers with your application.
If you’re getting ready to interview: Research common interview questions for your field and see examples of great answers with Big Interview. After you read, try recording yourself answering those questions and send it in to the Career Center to review. We’ll give you feedback on your answers, and you’ll never even have to change out of your sweatpants! If you want more experience interviewing, you can also make a mock interview appointment with the Career Center to practice.
Name:Amina Maswadeh
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Wellness Corporate Solutions
Position Title: Healthy at Hopkins Wellness Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Health Administration and Policy Program
Work Term:Spring 2018
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
My internship is focused on promoting health and well-being within the Johns Hopkins employees. There are multiple avenues that the Healthy at Hopkins teams use including webinars, on-site activities, and a Champion program (a team of Hopkins employees who work with the Healthy at Hopkins team to spread well-being within their individual departments). However, one of the key programs instituted is called the Quarterly Rewards Program where an individual receives points for pursuing healthy actions throughout a three month period which then results in a bonus in their paycheck. My project is gathering multiple resources and coming up with ideas that can be included within the program. Alongside this project, I also am in charge of enrolling and welcoming any new Champions that we receive along with creating resources and activities that can be used during on-site booths and events.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I contacted the support team via the email linked on the Healthy at Hopkins page. I was then transferred to the program manager who asked me to send her a copy of my resume and cover letter. Afterwards, I had a phone interview followed by an in-person interview before receiving an email saying that I was selected as the intern.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I have enjoyed being able to see the way in which teamwork truly pays off. By working alongside my teammates, I have learned the importance of communication and work ethic. In addition, it is always rewarding to hear and read about successes within the Hopkins employees.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe that by completing this internship, I will have not only assisted in the creation of a program that will be utilized by hundreds, if not thousands. But rather, I will also help inspire someone to take their life, their health into their own hands.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Search for an internship that resonates with you! It truly makes you motivated to work harder and push yourself to accomplish all your goals. At the same time, do not be discouraged if something doesn't happen the way you wanted, it is very possible that something better is waiting for you. So patience and passion is the key!
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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!
]]>Whether you’re graduating and looking for a full-time position (congrats!) or looking for a summer internship, the time has arrived to begin the search. The benefits of internships are extensive. Some majors or programs require them, and even if they aren’t required, they’re a great way to gain experience, make contacts in your field, get a feel for different company cultures, and (maybe) earn some money. As for full-time positions, the answer is obvious. You’ve spent the last four(ish) years of your life earning this degree, and now you get to go out into the real world and put the degree to use!
So, how do you find these internships and job opportunities? There are two main ways:
In Person
The Career Center offers many events through the semester to facilitate connections between employers and students. You can check out all our coming events on our calendar, but I’ll highlight three types here:
On The Roads: These require you to sign up, but it’s definitely worth it. The Career Center takes you by bus to the company where you get to talk with employees and get a feel for the culture and workplace.
UMBC Connects: These events are hosted on campus, no RSVP required. Show up and chat one on one with company representatives.
Career Corner: The least formal of the three options. Stop by the table set up in the Commons and chat for a few minutes with recruiters.
If employer recruiters are feeling a little too intimidating for you at the moment, I’d highly suggest coming in and talking with the Career Center Internship and Employment team. You can make a 30 minute appointment through UMBCworks, and they’ll walk you through the process. When I was a freshman, I came into the Career Center with no idea where to begin or what to do. They helped me land the most amazing summer position. Also consider signing up for the Intern Success Conference on November 7th! There’ll be a panel, keynote speaker, and information sessions all to help you land that perfect internship.
Online
Over the last few years, online networking and job search tools have exploded in popularity. Check out a few of our favorites:
UMBCworks: Just for UMBC students and alumni! Find all types of jobs and on-campus interviews here.
Links by Major: These give you websites and resources exclusive to your major!
Vault: Find companies by types of programs, locations, and majors hired. Then check out reviews from current and past employees.
Linkedin: The classic. There's a reason everyone’s on Linkedin. One of the best ways to network online. Check out our guide here.
If you’re lacking inspiration or not sure what exactly you’d do at an internship, take a look at the Career Center’s Intern of the Week series. Once a week, we interview UMBC students who completed internships about their favorite parts of the job.
Next week, we’ll go over more tools the Career Center has to help you reach your career goals. Over the next few days, look out for events connecting you to Northrop Grumman, T. Rowe Price, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Also, be sure to sign up and attend our Diversity Recruitment event! You’ll get to network with recruiters and eat a free dinner. Good luck with your applications, and I’ll see you next week!
Name:Zack DeThomasis
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Greenfield Partners, Inc.
Position Title:Social Media Operations Coordinator
Major(s)/Minor(s):Media and Communications Studies
Work Term:Summer 2018
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I worked for a small, private IT staffing and recruiting company called Greenfield Partners, Inc located in Irvine, California.. My responsibilities included establishing the social media pages, connecting the content through all of the platforms to ensure that there was transparency across all pages. Additionally, I was able to learn the day-to-day operations of a small business and what it takes to establish and maintain it. I was able to sit in on phone calls and interviews between employers and potential candidates.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
My mentor was a personal connection and because he works within the staffing industry, he has many connections to various companies. Over the Winter break into the Spring semester of this past year is when I started looking and applying to different internship positions for this Summer. It wasn't until midway through the Spring semester that everything was then set. I had asked him if he had any knowledge of any companies looking to hire interns in any marketing positions. Upon this, he then countered and asked me if I would like to work with him to get his company's social media pages started and functioning.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
It allowed me to be creative and rely on my own knowledge of social media. Additionally, I did a lot of research to see how other companies started and use their social media pages so that I could create something similar for Greenfield Partners, Inc. it was also very challenging because Greenfield isn't a company that produces material goods, but rather it is a service that companies can use to come into contact with potential job candidates. The group at Greenfield really acts as more of the "in-between" for companies to candidates. Being a former athlete at UMBC, I have really only been familiar to things that were sports related. This internship was the first thing that I had done that wasn't sports related so I enjoyed that it was something new to me and maybe out of my comfort zone.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I was able to help out a personal connection with getting his business established on social media fronts. Social Media is a prominent platform for companies in our current time, so to help someone out meant a lot.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
There is always a market for hiring interns. Unfortunately, that's what makes getting an internship position so competitive. Before I got my internship at Greenfield Partners, I had applied to 4 different companies for their internship positions and had gotten denied to all 4 of them. It really did force me to look back at my network and connections and then take it upon myself to reach out. Additionally, teamwork is KEY. Being able to communicate with your coworkers on ideas is a necessity. Like I said, there is always a market for interns and make sure to check base with any of your personal connections.
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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!
]]>Precise Software Solutions is a fast-growing small business providing healthcare information technology services and resources to help the FDA improve their internal applications seeks experienced, motivated Cheminformatics Developer/ Technical SME with knowledge of toxicology and cheminformatics.
The successful candidate will be a strong analytical problem solver (client satisfaction focused) responsible for review and assessment of requirements, documentation and gaps against a product prior to its production release.
The successful candidate will have experience in cheminformatics and have the ability to performdata analysis, review and comparisons across several databases containing chemical data to provide recommendations on how best to merge the data/ data structures based on like chemical structures, chemical notation, compounds and nomenclature.
Duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
Hopefully, you all had a good time at the Career Fair last Wednesday. At this point, the companies you talked to are beginning to look over resumes and decide who they want to advance to the next round in the hiring process, also known as interviews!
Before we dive into the strategies you can use to impress during the interview, there are a few basics that need to be covered first. Dress professionally. Wear at least business casual, but you might want to step it up a notch to business attire. Bring an extra copy of your resume, a pen and paper, and a bottle of water. Map out your drive (if you have to drive) the day before and account for traffic when deciding when you should leave. If your interview is on campus, make sure you know the building and room number.
During the interview, try and maintain an air of professionalism while developing a relationship with the interviewer. It's a tough line to walk, but resources linked below can help you practice and find that balance. Think of the type of interview as well, phone interviews and technical interviews are very different. When answering a question, keeping the acronym S.T.A.R. in mind is incredibly helpful. Stories that describe the Situation you were in, the Task you had to complete, the Action you took and the Result of that action communicate efficiently and clearly to the interviewer the message you are trying to get across.
At the end of the interview, you’ll get the chance to ask the interviewer questions about the company. I don’t know about you, but when asked to ask questions, every single question I’ve ever had immediately vacates my brain and I can’t figure out anything to say. So it's good to go in with a plan. Do research on the company beforehand and develop a list of questions to ask. They can be industry-specific or more general, like “How does the area I would be working in fit into the overall organizational structure?”. Finally, after the interview, send a thank you note to follow up. Thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity, and reiterate how you hope to hear from them soon.
So, we’ve gone over everything you need to do, but how can the Career Center help you? We offer mock (practice) interview appointments you can schedule through UMBCworks. You’ll come in and interview with a career specialist, then they’ll give you feedback on your performance. We also offer a new online service called Big Interview. You can search through a database of questions, record yourself answering them, and send them to the Career Center for review. To get questions reviewed, simply send the recording through Big Interview to our email: interviews@umbc.edu.
Interviewing can be a scary thing, but with the tips laid out above, hopefully it’s a little less so. Make sure to keep an eye out for more employer events coming to campus soon, we always have fun things going on. See you next week, where we’ll talk about finding internships and full- time positions using more Career Center tools.