The Career Center is currently recruiting for Career Peers for the 2020-2021 academic year. Become a Career Peer to:

We encourage interested students to please consider submitting your application as soon as possible. We would be interested in speaking with you before the end of the Spring 2020 semester.

Want to know more about being a Career Peer? Check out this Q&A with one of our current Career Peers, Tyra Hill:

Name: Tyra Hill

Position Title: Career Center Career Peer

Major(s)/Minor(s): Psychology major, with a Biology concentration

Current Class Level: Junior

Tell us about your role as a Career Peer including your weekly responsibilities.

The job responsibilities tend to vary and it really depends on the day, but some of the tasks that are always consistent as a Career Peer include conducting drop-ins [resume reviews], producing newsletter e-mails to be sent to students in various majors, producing blog posts, and any task or project that may be asked of me by my supervisor or another Career Center staff member. I also presented workshops, and staffed information tables for various events. Around the time of the Career Fair, I helped out as well.

What new skill sets did you develop as a result of being a Career Peer?

Being a Career Peer helped me become a lot better at speaking publicly. Something that we often do is present workshops and staff information tables, which gave me a lot more practice speaking in front of others. I learned how to properly critique resumes and cover letters, which is one of the main tasks that my job requires. I also developed the ability to work a lot more quickly. Working in the Career Center also gave me a lot of insight about developing myself professionally, the job search process, and how to interact with others in professional settings.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. How and when did you learn of the position? How did you submit your application? What was the interview like?

I learned about this position on UMBCworks around the end of the Spring 2019. I submitted my application through UMBCworks, as well as my class schedule, resume, and cover letter. I was contacted by my now supervisor to come in for an interview. The interview was about an hour long, and the interview questions were definitely extremely relevant to a lot of the situations that I encountered once I became a Career Peer.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position as a Career Peer?

I enjoyed being able to help my peers the most. I am the type of person who really likes helping others and it comes very naturally to me, so this job was extremely fulfilling for me personally because it really allows you to make a difference in the lives of many students. College can be such a confusing time and it’s often filled with uncertainty, so being able to alleviate any of the anxiety that comes along with the college process, college experience, or job search for any of my peers is very enjoyable to me. Nobody knows better than a current college student how hard things can be for other students, so it’s definitely nice to be able to help those who are in the same stage of receiving an education as I am.

I also enjoyed the amount that I learned as a Career Peer. I often hear students who also work talk about how much time work takes up in their day, and how they feel drained from their jobs. I never felt that way as a Career Peer. While it can be challenging, you truly learn so much that ultimately helps you grow as an individual, student, and as a young professional.

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

I believe that I have helped UMBC students better explore their options, expand their body of knowledge surrounding college and the job search; provided them tools to aid in their professional development, and given them more confidence about the work that they have done and the experiences that they’ve gained. The really cool thing about being a Career Peer is that you can give other students honest advice based on the experiences that you have had, and this means a lot to students when it is coming from one of their peers. To have a student reach out and let me know that they got a job with a resume that I helped them with, or were able to take advantage of an opportunity that I told them about is amazing to hear, and speaks to the amount of impact that being a Career Peer can have.

What advice would you give to another student who is applying to the Career Peer position?

To another student applying for the Career Peer position, I would say to work on your resume (our Career Guide has great examples if you haven’t seen it already), and don’t be afraid to ask questions and think outside of the box. Also, for those who are called in for interviews, always remember to be professional, compassionate, and let your personality show! If you are someone who truly enjoys helping others, and is looking for an extremely fulfilling on-campus job, this position is definitely for you.