There are only two days left until the Fall Internship and Career Fair! Join us from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14th in the RAC to meet 130 employers that want to hire you. Before then, don't forget to take a look at the Career Fair Directory to find out more about who will be attending!

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Perfect Pitch: How to Nail Your Elevator Speech

You ride the subway, grab a coffee, and get to the office—it’s your typical Monday morning, until,bam! You step in the elevator and find yourself face-to-face with the CEO of your dream company or the client you’ve been dying to land.

She smiles and says, “Hi. What do you do?”

Scary? Absolutely. But it could happen to you—tomorrow—and you’ll want to be prepared.

The aptly named “elevator speech” or “elevator pitch” is a concise, compelling introduction that can be communicated in the amount of time it takes someone to ride the elevator to her floor.

Even if you’re never caught heading up to the 39th with someone important, this is an good skill to master when you’re introducing yourself during an interview, a sales pitch, or a networking event. People are busy, and being able to communicate who you are and what you do quickly and effectively will ensure that you get your most important points across, no matter how short the conversation.

Not quite ready for the elevator ride of your life? Check out our step-by-step guide to crafting—and perfecting—your pitch.

1. Start with a Blank Canvas

Take a blank piece of paper and number it from one to 10. Then, fill in the most important bits of information that you want to convey about yourself, your service or product, or your company. What, exactly, do you do? What have you achieved, and what are your goals? Who does your company serve and why? Focus on the most interesting or memorable facts—the ones that really make you stand out from others.

2. Red Pen It

Using a different color pen, edit what you’ve drafted with a critical eye. Eliminate any redundancies, unnecessary or unclear information, and broad business jargon. More importantly, hone and enhance the good stuff. “I’m great at sales” isn’t likely to pique anyone’s interest, but “I’ve exceeded my sales goals every quarter for the last two years” sure might.

3. Pick a Card

Grab five index cards, and label them “Who I Am,” “What I Do,” “How I Do It,” “Why I Do It,” and “Who I Do It For.” Add each item on the list you've created to the card where it fits best. Ideally, you’ll have two compelling sentences underneath each heading, so fill in any gaps if you need to.

4. Get in Order

Organize the cards in a logical order, making sure the most important information is first. Remember, you often only have a few seconds to communicate with someone. If you get cut off, what would you want her to walk away remembering?

5. Add an Attention-Getter

Add an interesting fact or stat to use at the beginning of your speech. Your goal is to immediately engage someone so that he or she is intrigued and wants to learn more.

6. Practice!

Recite your pitch to close someone who can be objective, and ask for constructive feedback(although we love our friends and families, sometimes they think we can do no wrong!). What may seem clear in your mind might come across as convoluted, long-winded, or fragmented to an outside observer.

7. Record Your Pitch

Once you’ve gotten feedback and honed your pitch even further, record yourself saying it. Listen to your tone—make sure it’s friendly, non-threatening, and that you’re not talking a mile a minute (knowing you only have a few moments to speak may subconsciously increase your pace). Really listen to what you’re saying—make sure you’re not repeating words and that you’re sending the message you really want to convey.  

8. Ride the Elevator

The next time you ride an elevator (alone), practice your speech. First, giveyourself some time by going to the highest floor. Then, try giving your pitch from a middle floor and from the first to the third floor, too. Having to make just a few brief moments count will help you to hone the words you need and scrap the ones you don’t!

This week, set aside some time to craft your elevator pitch (or dust off the one you’ve used before). You just never know who you might face tomorrow morning.

Photo of woman in elevator courtesy of Shutterstock.

Kaizen CTF is this Thursday 10/15/15 in the Commons Skylight Room on Main Campus. The challenges will start at 7:00PM but folks are encouraged to show up as early as 6:30PM to setup your laptop. You will need your laptop and a virtual machine with Kali Linux and don’t forget your power cords because this event will run until 11PM.

If this is the first time you are hearing about this here is a blurb about the event —

“Booz Allen (BAH) is excited to announce Kaizen, a Capture the Flag event designed to build the skills of information security professionals through hands-on, interactive hacking challenges. The challenges represent real world scenarios which cover a wide range of hacking skills, including: web/binary exploitation, forensics, network capture analysis, and ad-hoc scripting. Previously played at Blackhat and ShmooCon, Kaizen was built to challenge participants of all skill levels; so, if you’re experienced and want to sharpen your skills or if you’re new to information security and want a healthy environment to learn then come check out Kaizen. Participants are immersed into an educational and competitive environment where continuous/on-the-fly learning is rewarded.

Kaizen: Japanese word/philosophy for Continuous Learning/Improvement of skills and self, which we feel accurately describes our participants and our mindset.”

To give an accurate head count BAH has asked us to use their website to register — please use your UMBC email to sign up. This website will also be how you view the challenges and submit flags so it is vital to sign up.

If you have any questions at all email Anh Ho (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ) or Julio Valcarcel (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ) with any questions you may have. Also feel free to join us on our Slack (https://umbccd.slack.com).

Multiple Tenure-track Faculty Positions Starting Fall 2016

Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

UMBC’s Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering invites applications for three tenure-track Assistant Professor positions to begin in Fall 2016. Exceptionally strong candidates for higher ranks may be considered. Applicants must have or be completing a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, have demonstrated the ability to pursue a research program, and have a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Candidates will be expected to build and lead a team of student researchers, obtain external research support and teach both graduate and undergraduate courses.

All areas of specialization will be considered, but we are especially interested in candidates in the following areas: information assurance and cybersecurity; mobile, wearable and IoT systems; big data with an emphasis on machine learning, analytics, and high-performance computing; knowledge and database systems; hardware systems and experimental methods in circuits, devices, VLSI, FPGA, and sensors; cyber-physical systems; low-power systems; biomedical and healthcare systems; and methods and tools for hardware-software co-design.

The CSEE department is energetic, research-oriented and multi-disciplinary with programs in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Cybersecurity. Our faculty (34 tenure-track, six teaching and 15 research) enjoy collaboration, working across our specializations as well as with colleagues from other STEM, humanities and the arts departments and external partners. We have 1500 undergraduate CS and CE majors and 400 M.S. and Ph.D. students in our CS, CE, EE and Cybersecurity graduate programs. We have awarded 276 PhDs since our establishment in 1986. Our research supported by a growing and diverse portfolio from government and industrial sponsors with over $5M in yearly research expenditures. We work to help new colleagues be successful by providing startup packages, reduced teaching loads and active mentoring.

UMBC is a dynamic public research university integrating teaching, research and service. As an Honors University, the campus offers academically talented students a strong undergraduate liberal arts foundation that prepares them for graduate and professional study, entry into the workforce, and community service and leadership. UMBC emphasizes science, engineering, information technology, human services and public policy at the graduate level. We are dedicated to cultural and ethnic diversity, social responsibility and lifelong learning. The 2015 US News and World Report Best Colleges report placed UMBC fourth in the Most Innovative National Universities category and sixth in Best Undergraduate Teaching, National Universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education named UMBC as a Great College to Work For, a recognition given to only 86 universities. Our strategic location in the Baltimore-Washington corridor puts us close to many important federal laboratories and agencies and high-tech companies, facilitating interactions, collaboration, and opportunities for sabbaticals and visiting appointments.

UMBC’s campus is located on 500 acres just off I-95 between Baltimore and Washington DC, and less than 10 minutes from the BWI airport and Amtrak station. The campus includes the bwtech@UMBC research and technology park, which has special programs for startups focused on cybersecurity, clean energy, life sciences and training. We are surrounded by one of the greatest concentrations of commercial, cultural and scientific activity in the nation. Located at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore has all the advantages of modern, urban living, including professional sports, major art galleries, theaters and a symphony orchestra. The city’s famous Inner Harbor area is an exciting center for entertainment and commerce. The nation’s capital, Washington, DC, is a great tourist attraction with its historical monuments and museums. Just ten minutes from downtown Baltimore and 30 from the D.C. Beltway, UMBC offers easy access to the region’s resources by car or public transportation.

Applicants should submit a cover letter, a brief statement of teaching and research experience and interests, a CV, and three letters of recommendation at Interfolio. Applications received by January 15, 2016 are assured full consideration and those received later will be evaluated as long as the positions remain open. Send questions to Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. and see the CSEE jobs page for more information.

We are committed to inclusive excellence and innovation and welcome applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. UMBC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Multiple Tenure-track Faculty Positions Starting Fall 2016

Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

UMBC’s Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering invites applications for three tenure-track Assistant Professor positions to begin in Fall 2016. Exceptionally strong candidates for higher ranks may be considered. Applicants must have or be completing a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, have demonstrated the ability to pursue a research program, and have a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Candidates will be expected to build and lead a team of student researchers, obtain external research support and teach both graduate and undergraduate courses.

All areas of specialization will be considered, but we are especially interested in candidates in the following areas: information assurance and cybersecurity; mobile, wearable and IoT systems; big data with an emphasis on machine learning, analytics, and high-performance computing; knowledge and database systems; hardware systems and experimental methods in circuits, devices, VLSI, FPGA, and sensors; cyber-physical systems; low-power systems; biomedical and healthcare systems; and methods and tools for hardware-software co-design.

The CSEE department is energetic, research-oriented and multi-disciplinary with programs in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Cybersecurity. Our faculty (34 tenure-track, six teaching and 15 research) enjoy collaboration, working across our specializations as well as with colleagues from other STEM, humanities and the arts departments and external partners. We have 1500 undergraduate CS and CE majors and 400 M.S. and Ph.D. students in our CS, CE, EE and Cybersecurity graduate programs. We have awarded 276 PhDs since our establishment in 1986. Our research supported by a growing and diverse portfolio from government and industrial sponsors with over $5M in yearly research expenditures. We work to help new colleagues be successful by providing startup packages, reduced teaching loads and active mentoring.

UMBC is a dynamic public research university integrating teaching, research and service. As an Honors University, the campus offers academically talented students a strong undergraduate liberal arts foundation that prepares them for graduate and professional study, entry into the workforce, and community service and leadership. UMBC emphasizes science, engineering, information technology, human services and public policy at the graduate level. We are dedicated to cultural and ethnic diversity, social responsibility and lifelong learning. The 2015 US News and World Report Best Colleges report placed UMBC fourth in the Most Innovative National Universities category and sixth in Best Undergraduate Teaching, National Universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education named UMBC as a Great College to Work For, a recognition given to only 86 universities. Our strategic location in the Baltimore-Washington corridor puts us close to many important federal laboratories and agencies and high-tech companies, facilitating interactions, collaboration, and opportunities for sabbaticals and visiting appointments.

UMBC’s campus is located on 500 acres just off I-95 between Baltimore and Washington DC, and less than 10 minutes from the BWI airport and Amtrak station. The campus includes the bwtech@UMBC research and technology park, which has special programs for startups focused on cybersecurity, clean energy, life sciences and training. We are surrounded by one of the greatest concentrations of commercial, cultural and scientific activity in the nation. Located at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore has all the advantages of modern, urban living, including professional sports, major art galleries, theaters and a symphony orchestra. The city’s famous Inner Harbor area is an exciting center for entertainment and commerce. The nation’s capital, Washington, DC, is a great tourist attraction with its historical monuments and museums. Just ten minutes from downtown Baltimore and 30 from the D.C. Beltway, UMBC offers easy access to the region’s resources by car or public transportation.

Applicants should submit a cover letter, a brief statement of teaching and research experience and interests, a CV, and three letters of recommendation at Interfolio. Applications received by January 15, 2016 are assured full consideration and those received later will be evaluated as long as the positions remain open. Send questions to Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. and see the CSEE jobs page for more information.

We are committed to inclusive excellence and innovation and welcome applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. UMBC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

4:00 p.m., Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

Ari Ne’eman will discuss the history of disability policy in the United States, how social attitudes and government policy towards people with disabilities have changed over the last fifty years and articulate how policymakers, activists and others can help set the stage for a more inclusive 21st century America.

Ari Ne'eman, UMBC and Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars alumnus (Political Science ‘10) is President and Co-Founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a national advocacy organization run by and for autistic Americans. Mr. Ne'eman recently completed a 5 year term as one of President Obama's appointees to the National Council on Disability. Earlier this year, Ne’eman was awarded the $100,000 Ruderman Prize, which recognizes an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the Jewish world and the greater public.

Name: James Gallagher 

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Lockheed Martin

Position Title: Communications Intern in the Ethics Department

Major(s)/Minor(s): English, Media & Communications Studies

Expected Graduation Year: May 2017

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

I didn’t have clearly defined job duties or anything like that. More or less, in the words of my supervisor, I'm there to "wordsmith." Wherever the Ethics department needs it, I work with words to create a solid, usable product. That could be infographics, memos, news articles, social media posts, reports, presentations, talking points, or any number of other assignments. My responsibility is to help wherever I can by creating effective and engaging ways of communication. 

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

This internship came to me completely out of nowhere. I spent tons of time on UMBCworks, but for whatever reason I didn't end up at any of the places I found there. My mom actually forwarded me the Lockheed Martin intern application page, but I have no idea how she found it. I came so, so close to not applying because I didn't have much passion to work for a tech company. I wanted to work somewhere artsier, somewhere smaller, somewhere with more creativity. But at the last minute, I did apply, because I was applying to as many places as I could. After putting in my name for a "non-tech" internship, I received a phone interview, and it was a good ride since. I'm so happy I applied and gave it a chance, because it's been such a great experience. Sometimes you find a fit where you don't expect it, so never rule anything out. 

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

It's a very supportive workplace. Everyone stops to talk to me, everyone says hi in the hallway, and we have a lot of group lunches. That support isn't just social–it's also professional. I've had coworkers bring my resume places without me ever asking; I've been introduced to more people than I can count for the sake of networking; no one's ever too busy to answer a question that I have. As an intern, it seems like you're supposed to stay quiet and stay out of sight, but at Lockheed Martin it's the opposite. Every one of my coworkers is actively trying to create learning and professional opportunities for me, and I'm very grateful. 

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

It would be easy to talk about the overarching big picture impacts of improving Ethics and ethical conduct in a formerly corrupt field. But that's not really where I see my impact. Sure, the daily tasks that I completed contributed to that broader mission, but my impact was much more immediate. Just by being there, by providing my feedback in conference calls, by helping facilitate training sessions, by putting more time into tasks than a “real” employee ever could, I helped my team do their jobs. I built some great relationships at Lockheed Martin, so that's a great impact for me, but it goes both ways. By being helpful and willing to work, I helped my team accomplish so much and I made their summer a little easier. 

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

The biggest thing I would say is never to dismiss an opportunity. There were all kinds of things I didn't want to do this summer. I was never really interested in script writing, I didn't want to attend a trade conference, and I was too shy to want to spend time with my VP. But I did all of them and I learned from them, and I think I'm in a better position now than I was before. I love my comfort zone more than anyone, but I'm realizing that it's true–you have to leave your comfort zone sometimes. I wouldn't have gotten anything out of this summer if I hadn't. 

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