I hope you guys all had a fantastic thanksgiving break! Now that the holiday break is over, there are only ….. THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LEFT IN THE SEMESTER??? When did that happen?! Well, I guess as the semester is closing up, now is a good time to reflect on your experiences this semester. And keeping with the theme of thankfulness, let’s talk about how you can show thanks to the employers and mentors that have helped you this semester.
First of all, why should you be thanking your mentors? The most obvious reason is that when someone does something good for you - like offer you a job/internship/research position - thanking them for it is just the right thing to do. Being thankful makes others feel good, and it makes you feel good! But from a more self-serving perspective, it also helps your chances of working with them again in the future. People always remember those who are kind to them, so if you thank your mentor for their help, they’ll probably want to hire you again! Also, taking the time to think about reasons to thank them will help you reflect on how you’ve developed through this experience. If you’re enrolled in an Intern Success Practicum course with the Career Center, you should be submitting your end-of-semester reflections by December 8th.
Here are some great ways to thank your employers and mentors:
In person is always the best option. Being able to talk face-to-face when thanking your mentor will show them how sincere you are, and will also give them a chance to thank you in return! They appreciate the work you’ve put in as much as you appreciate their guidance.
Sending a thank-you card is a good alternative if you’re shy, or don’t get a chance to do it in person. People don’t usually send physical cards anymore, so it will be a pleasant surprise for them to get a nice card in their mailbox.
If you’re not in a rush, or if you are continuing your work in the spring, be on the lookout for the Career Center’s annual Thanks for Making a Difference Campaign, which is a creative way to thank all and any kind of mentor in your life.
Personally, I’d like to send a thank you to the whole Career Center for welcoming me into the office as a new employee this semester. I have already learned so much about professional development and helping other students, and I look forward to continuing my own development here and working on new projects to give my fellow students all the opportunities they deserve. Feel free to comment on what you’re thankful for this year in the comments section below.
Name:Edwin Quinn
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: KeyW Corporation
Position Title: Electronics Packaging Engineer
Major(s)/Minor(s):Mechanical Engineering
Work Term:Summer/Fall 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
Our division develops micro-electronic devices with a focus on software defined radios. We support large contracts for major federal customers in the area. As an intern, I am responsible for the design and process development of electro-mechanical assemblies. My responsibilities include calculating, testing and mitigating issues involving circuit board strain, thermal management and environmental durability. I often utilize plating, machining and other manufacturing processes to complete my designs. I have access to a wide variety of equipment including a UV Laser, multiple CNCs, an X-Ray and extensive lab space to help with the engineering process.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I found my internship through the UMBC career fair. The career center at UMBC helped me improve my resume and advised me on success factors when interfacing with professionals.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I enjoy the hands on learning the most. I find that I am constantly applying my academic knowledge when solving problems. I also value learning how to use new software and equipment to apply that knowledge. It is very rewarding when you are instrumental in solving an engineering problem, even if it is on a small scale. I also enjoy the variety of the work that the job provides. No two projects are the same and there is always a new problem to solve. On a higher level, I think learning how an engineering company is organized and run is invaluable career experience.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I think I bring a new approach to how typical engineering problems are solved. There are many processes in micro-electronics that have been done the same way for many years. As an intern, I have brought new ideas to the table in terms of materials and processes. For instance, on a recent project I suggested the use of cobalt over typical copper alloys because of cobalt's rigidity and other beneficial material properties. Having little to no experience can be a huge upside in that it gives a fresh perspective on solving problems.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Getting an internship is invaluable training for any student. I think that an internship is a big confidence booster and a great way to learn about yourself. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there at career fairs and networking events.
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Name:Ranye McLendon
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science
Position Title: Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Computer Engineering
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
Harvard REU is an internship and research experience. I work in a lab from Monday to Friday, building three robots. Our goal is to have these three autonomous robots roam freely around campus without any guidance from us. We have daily tasks to perform that include coding, soldering, laser cutting, and 3D printing. In our lab, we mostly use python to write code for the robots. We occasionally attend talks from professors around the country. Program requirements include attendance at weekly evening faculty-led seminars, participating in an ethics seminar and giving both a final presentation and a final written report.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I received an email from my UMBC account around February regarding the internship. A UMBC alumni referred me to the program director, and then I applied on the website with my transcript and 2 recommendations almost immediately. I persistently emailed the head of my lab to increase my chances of getting into the program.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I enjoyed everything about the program. I enjoy building the robots mostly. I was able to learn new things and meet new people. We learned a new topic related to robotics every Wednesday at our lab luncheon. I enjoyed our tour at MIT media lab. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and have a better understanding of what I want to do after graduation.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe that these robots the program had us work on will be the start of another self organizing systems robots for the robotics lab at Harvard SEAS. I believe I made an impact on my future after graduating with these new experience. The program allowed me to make new connections with people from all over the country. I am now able to speak about my experience as an intern in my hometown.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
I would encourage them to be persistent, and to ask questions and seek advice from former students and alum that had already gone through the research experience or internship.
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Name:James Rogers
Internship, Co-op or Research Site:SilcsBio, LLC
Position Title: Software Development Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Mathematics Major, Computer Science Minor
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
The end goal of my work is to contribute to software that is used in molecular modelling. My primary project is to code a couple files that will eventually integrate into existing software and expand the range of models that it can support. On a more day-to-day level this means examining and testing the existing code base to determine what is expected, then matching that with my code. In addition the experience includes an introduction to startup culture; sitting in on strategical meetings, learning about the usefulness of startup incubators, and other similar soft lessons.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I found the position while searching for summer internships on UMBCWorks. I had already gotten my resume reviewed by the career center, so when I saw this position listed I was able to apply almost immediately.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I love getting to see how so many different concepts and skills from my classes play a role in designing even small pieces of industry projects! Everything from the most in-depth lecture on pointers to a side note on the homework about Linux is proving relevant here, and it's exciting to see the synthesis of it all.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe I made an impact through bringing in a more basic understanding of programming; since most of my classes are still fresh in my mind, it's easier for me to see the technical details in the code and how it interfaces. I'm able to pick apart to small bugs and edge cases that may be harder to spot when looking at it from the perspective of the entire software package.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
When in doubt, submit an application. You never know how many applications you'll have to go through before finally landing a position, and you never know whether you'll like the job or not unless you get it, so why not try?
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We are accepting applications for the U.S. Department of
State Pathways Internship Experience Program (IEP) in
our Washington, DC location.
Visit USAJOBS to start the online application process and
view the following vacancy announcement numbers.
Please note the cutoff point for these positions: This
vacancy announcement will be open from November 1 to
November 7, 2017 or when the application cutoff limit has
been reached for this position. The vacancy will close on
whichever day the first of these conditions is met. If the
application limit is reached on the same day the
announcement opened, the open and close date will be the
same.
Candidates are encouraged to read the entire
announcement before submitting their application packages.
Veterans’ preference regulations apply.
Vacancy USAJOBS Links Cutoff Office Automation
(Student Trainee)GS-0399-07:HRSC/PATH-2018-0019 100
Student Trainees work closely with the U.S. diplomats and
Civil Service professionals who carry out America’s foreign
policy initiatives. To witness and participate in U.S. foreign
policy formulation and implementation, consider a Pathways
internship with the U.S. Department of State.
The Internship Experience Program (IEP) allows for
non-temporary appointments that are expected to last the
length of the academic program for which the intern is
enrolled. IEP participants, while in the program, are eligible
for noncompetitive promotions. This program allows for noncompetitive conversion into the
competitive service following successful completion
of all program requirements. Conversion to the competitive
service is not guaranteed.
U.S. citizenship is required for all positions. If you have any
questions or would like to search for topics of interest, please contact HRSC@state.gov or visit our forums orFAQs at careers.state.gov.
We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S.
Department of State.
Name:Marios Levi
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Formlabs
Position Title: Print Production Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Mechanical Engineering
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I worked at a 3D printing farm. A print farm is a space that has dozens of printers that we print sample parts on. The printers I worked with are Formlab's Form 2, so they are SLA (resin-based) printers. Although SLA has a much better surface finish and detail than regular FDM (plastic filament) printers, there is a lot of post-processing required, like cleaning each part with alcohol, as well as UV curing each part. I help the team of 8 I am with to clean and cure the pieces, and also assist with CAD'ing new sample parts for different market verticals.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I worked at UMBC's Keith R. Porter Imaging Facility (KPIF). It is located in the basement of one of the biology buildings, and deals mainly with microscopy. At the KPIF I worked to convert microscope image stacks into 3D models, into 3D printable files fit for the Form 2 which we also have. I have been to the career center multiple times, so my resume was well and up-to-date. I loved working with the Form 2, so I called up the company that makes them, and after weeks of interviews, I got the position.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
What I enjoyed most about Formlabs was the culture, and how much it related to my future career goals. I relocated to Boston for the summer, and the city itself was well worth it. Although Formlabs has over 200 employees, it still maintains the startup culture that is expected with such a new company. In this way, most employees were in their 20’s so we saw eye to eye with a lot of topics relating to 3D printing and rapid prototyping. Similarly, I loved the team I worked with, especially because they were all knowledgeable about the technology.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
Some of the parts I helped design will be sent to people all over the world. In addition, the resin tanks we use in the printer wear out after a couple uses, and we throw them out often. The only problem was that there was some small amount of resin still in the tanks which is not great for the environment. To fix the problem, me and another intern worked together to build an efficient UV 'curing chamber' that cures the remaining resin in the tanks before disposal.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
If you are passionate about anything, don't stop at nothing to get an internship or career in that field. "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." I love 3D printing, so I pursued and got this job. In the same way, do not limit yourself to internship finding through just traditional routes (like job finding sites, career center, etc.). Although you should take advantage of those resources as much as you can, try finding and contacting people in your field in any way possible to get your name out.
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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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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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Name:Michael Ogunsanya
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: GE Aviation
Position Title: Infra Engineering Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Mechanical Engineering
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I was involved in two projects. For my first assignment, I was involved in a new tracking system the site is still implementing. As airplane composites are built, they must enter and exit through certain stations. MRAS purchased Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to attach to each piece, as well as sensors monitored all across the plant. With the information recorded to a database, my responsibility in the project was to analyzes their creation cycles and locations. In doing so, I was able to save the company hundreds of thousands of dollars by integrating better transporting routes, as well as informing Senior Manufacturing Engineers of airplane parts that were soon going to expire. Also, I was key in making the tracking program more useful for processes outside of just tracking airplane pieces.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
Fall 2016 Career Fair. I spoke with a senior engineer from Cincinnati who scheduled an interview between us and less than a month later, I was accepted.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
Everyday I come in, I have the choice of sitting at my desk, with software capable of revolutionizing the air industry, or, I could walk a few yards to the shop floor and see how all this hard work is enacted with 10+ feet airplane parts.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
With my work ethic and willingness to help, I saved hours of research and critical thinking that other engineers would have to figure out when completing each of my two projects. I also made contributions towards a $1.9 million tool cleaning proposal, which is now currently being integrated into the site’s everyday operations.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Don't be shy. As an engineer, you're supposed to pursue and advocate for excellence through design, manufacturing, and the overall community. Also, there's nothing you will be given that is "too hard". UMBC prepares you well for when a daunting task is given, but you know putting in the extra effort will result in success.
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Name:Astrid Laredo
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: VueCare Media
Position Title:Animation and Design Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s): Animation
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I create custom made slides that will be displayed in doctor's office(s) waiting rooms. I also create short informative/festive videos/animations that may also be displayed. I help with the company's upgrades by ensuring each practice has the proper slides and videos in their playlists. I also assist with making newsletters that will be distributed among the eye practices the company is partnered with.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
It was a forwarded email by a staff member from the art department. I took interest and made the decision to reply, got an interview, and landed the position on my own.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
The flexibility to be creative and having learned new skills in Graphic design.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I am able to see what the practices select as their content to be viewed on their waiting room TVs, and I have been able to see a lot of the slides I have created. It’s a great way to tell if the doctors like what I have created, as they are able to select multiple slides to be displayed.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Keep applying, don't get discouraged, the right internship will come along and take interest in your talents and see the potential you have.
What I liked most about this internship was having the artistic liberty to create content that my employer is confident enough to provide to eye doctors across the country & Canada. This helped me gain belief in myself, allowed me to do what I love, and brought me a step closer to my degree by earning credit. Working with the Career Center reassured me that not only did I make the right decision in pursuing a degree in art/animation, but that I made the right decision in choosing UMBC as the university in which I can obtain not only that degree but a future career wherever I go.
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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!