We hope everyone is enjoying their summer. With the Fall semester quickly approaching, we're looking forward to kicking things off with our scholars, affiliates, and fellow COEIT faculty/staff at CWIT's Welcome Back Social! Join us to reconnect with colleagues, friends, meet new faces, and enjoy games, music, and some delicious pizza and ice cream!

Welcome to Career Month, designed to help students from first-year to PhDs "Explore what's possible and create what's next." Join us each week for events such as industry-focused mini-fairs with employers/alumni, workshops, and employer site visits.

The transition from student to professional doesn’t happen overnight — it happens through a series of intentional conversations. Whether you are a first-year student exploring possibilities or a senior ready to launch, Career Month is your platform to build momentum.

Connect with Targeted Industries

Generic career fairs can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve curated Industry-Specific Fairs to help you find the right fit. By grouping employers by field, you can spend less time navigating a crowded room and more time having high-quality conversations with recruiters who are specifically looking for your skillset.

Practice Your Professional Pitch

A career event is the ultimate "low-stakes, high-reward" environment to practice how you introduce yourself. You don’t need a perfect set of skills to make an impression; you need a clear interest and a few thoughtful questions. Every conversation you have is a step toward normalizing the networking process and reducing the "fear factor" of the job search.

Discover the "Hidden" Roles

Keep in mind that some of the employers attending these fairs might have openings that aren't widely advertised on external job boards yet. By showing up in person, you position yourself at the front of the line. Remember: Preparation + Connection = Opportunity. These events are where the "hidden job market" can become visible.

Maximize Your UMBC Network

Some of the recruiters behind the tables are UMBC alumni who were once exactly where you are sitting. They aren't just looking for resumes; they are looking for fellow Retrievers to join their teams. This shared connection is a powerful tool — don't be afraid to lead with it and use that to your advantage.

Put This Into Action

Ready to see where your degree can take you? Mark your calendar for our specialized Industry Fairs and start building the connections that count.

• Technology & Engineering | April 1, 2026
• Art & Industry | April 7, 2026
• Humanities & Social Sciences | April 8, 2026
• Sciences | April 15, 2026

One conversation can change your trajectory. Reach for the stars and go!

Be sure to also check out careermonth.umbc.edu and our full list of events to keep you busy all month long. 

• Gain leadership skills.
• Help fellow students with resumes and cover letters.
• Improve your presentation skills.
• Represent the Career Center at special events.

Apply now!

To apply to the Career Peer position, log into your Handshake account and search jobs for “Career Peer Advisor Fall 2023.”

https://app.joinhandshake.com/jobs/7764372/share_preview

. . .

We are also recruiting for a social media intern and a graphic design intern. See our current interns featured as Intern of the Week for more details.

How Does Fact-checking Affect News Engagement

on Social Media  Platforms: A Multi-method Study

Guohou (Jack) Shan

Each Friday during Career Month, the Career Center is sponsoring Virtual Recruitment Events for a different industry. This week’s event is focusing on Advocacy, Social Services, Education, Law & Policy.

Friday, April 16, 2021 - 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.              

You will have a chance to meet with top employers to discuss internships, career and employment opportunities and explore their career options. There will be social science opportunities for students of all levels-from first-year students to graduate students.

 Our employers love UMBC students and they return to UMBC again and again in search of top candidates!

But, some students find that a virtual recruitment event can be very hectic and intimidating. You may even have to wait in a virtual que before you can speak with the employer of your choice. So, it is very important that you are prepared for this important event and that you have a positive attitude while participating.

Below are some tips on how you can prepare for a virtual recruitment event.

1. Keep focused on the camera so that you appear to make eye contact with your interviewer.
2. Dress for an in-person interview (no casual clothes).
3. Test it out! Make a practice call to a friend prior to the interview to make sure that your audio/video are clear. Be sure to find a spot with the strongest connection (and clean backdrop).
4. Make sure your background surroundings are neutral, professional, and distraction-free to ensure that your interviewer will be able to clearly see and hear you. Find a spot with good lighting and minimal glare.
5. Limit distractions.
6. Pay attention to your posture and body language. Use your facial expressions to show you are engaged and listening.
7. Close other programs on your computer.
8. Next to your computer, arrange notes outlining your relevant skill sets, along with examples using those skills that match the position requirements as well as your résumé and job description, but refer to them as little as possible. You don’t want to seem like you are reading. Consider highlighting keywords or phrases you want to be sure to use.
9. Research the organization’s website prior to the interview, taking note of their mission, values, and current information.  Using the link above, you will find the list of employers.
10. Keep track of your time, so you’ll need to be able to see a clock.
11. Prepare thoughtful questions beforehand.
12. As with any interview – be sure to follow up!
13. Use a great 30-second commercial. The commercial should identify who you are, highlight a few accomplishments and strengths, show how you can add value to the company, and be concise. Use your pitch to start a conversation with employers. Practice with friends in advance!  
14. Ask the employer good, thoughtful questions.
15. Take notes and do what you say you will do.

SEEKING: Intern for Nonprofit Start-up Driving Impact in Baltimore

We are looking for a tech-savvy & professional go-getter to be a part of a start-up with the potential to make significant impact on the city of Baltimore.  Willingness to learn, an aptitude for working under pressure, and a positive attitude are all required. The position will report to the Deputy Director and Executive Director.

ABOUT US
Baltimore Homecoming is an initiative that seeks to build a national network of accomplished Baltimore expat-alumni and reconnect them with Baltimore today, reawakening and deepening personal ties to the city and sparking new partnerships, investments and collaborations.

In our third year, Baltimore Homecoming’’s efforts will focus on the third annual Homecoming conference, which will be held in October 2020. The three-day program will engage roughly 150 out-of-town guests and alumni, showcasing for them the city’s next generation of innovators, artists and activists. 

To get a sense of what Baltimore Homecoming is all about, check out our 2018 Highlight Reel and events photo gallery.

Who’s Involved

Baltimore Homecoming, Inc. was founded by Nate Loewentheil and JM Schapiro. Our Homecoming Host Committee includes dozens of city leaders and notables.  Full list available here: www.baltimorehomecoming.com/involved

Responsibilities include:

• Working directly with the Deputy Director and provide as needed administrative support to the team.
• Assisting in the coordination and support of project plans including alumni research, outreach & recruitment, and constituent management.
• Assisting in the conversion of constituent data into a CRM system.
• Assisting in public engagement initiatives, including coordinating and meeting with community partners.
• Drafting, proofing and preparing invitations, letters and other related materials.
• Social media content development and engagement.
• Providing any other necessary support to directors on ad-hoc projects and events.

What you'll learn:

• How to plan, market and execute a large scale event
• How to do fundraising research and development
• How to build and manage social media campaigns 
• How to work - and make an impact - in a start-up environment
• Effective strategies for compiling and maintaining a large database

Qualifications desired: 

• College student, graduate student or recent graduate 
• Interest/familiarity with the City of Baltimore
• Experience in events, development, member relations, administration or sales
• Experience, familiarity or expertise in donor database management or CRM is a plus
• Willingness & ability to take direction and feedback
• Willingness & ability to work independently and take initiative
• Must be detail oriented and driven

Details

Expected start date: January 2020

Desired length of internship: 10 months (January 2020 - October 2020)

Compensation: Negotiable

Office(s) located at: 

• Brewer Hill’s Hub, 3700 O’Donnell Street, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224
• Continental Realty Corporation, 1427 Clarkview Road, Suite 500, Baltimore, MD 21209

How to Apply:

To be considered, please send resume, writing sample, recent presentation and 2-4 sentences on why you think you’d be perfect for the opportunity to Deputy Director, Robbin Lee, at robbin@baltimorehomecoming.com

Robbin Lee
UMBC '13
Deputy Director, Baltimore Homecoming
robbin@baltimorehomecoming.com

¡Hola! Me llamo Gerardo Herrera-Cortés y soy un pasante por los poblaciones hispanos y latinos en el Mosaico: centro para la diversidad y cultura en UMBC. Estudio diseño gráfico, pero tengo una pasión para la vida y experiencia de los universitarios.

In translation to the American English language, I just said my name, that I’m the Hispanic and Latino/x intern for the Mosaic, as well as my major and my main interest. Those two sentences took about half an hour to write. If you’re fluent in written Spanish, you can perhaps see the mistakes I made. I search endlessly through search engines and Spanish websites to ensure that my grammar is at least decent. In English, that’s lesser of an issue.

I was born in Puebla, México and immigrated to the United States with my mother at trés meses. I already knew that I was an undocumented immigrant, along with other members of my “nuclear” family (Side note: I found out what nuclear family meant this past weekend and it’s quite a weird concept). It was no biggie – my family had their life and other folks had theirs. We kept a sharper eye at the skin tones of police officers and the immigration Q&As on Univisión Noticias than others. It was normal. Normal.

My hermanos, 19 and 14, are American-born and, as my dad likes to put it, malagredecidos. They’re enjoying the American experience and the benefits of health insurance, an American passport, and citizenship. Aren’t they lucky, huh?

I applied to colleges, the first in my family, and got stuff done. I didn’t know how money worked nor how much it was but I went for it. During my sophomore year in high school, my sister and I applied for and were granted I-765 work permits and deportation deferral through DACA. I worked full-time for slightly above minimum wage – $7.80 at the time – because I had the ability to speak (decent) Spanish. I worked full-time, every week, from October 2013 to August 2015. Then, my mother revived her Permanent Residency application that was filed in 1993, back before the time of any children, with a costly lawyer during my junior year.

El trío was granted residency status in March 2015. We spent more than dos mil dólares por persona. I helped my older sister in funding the federal “forgiveness” fee, biometric fees, application fees, and lawyer costs. I came to UMBC, paid for my first semester with the dos mil that was left in my bank account and whatever leftover money the federal and state government had (and none from UMBC at the time).

Fast forward, I’m working several jobs here at UMBC, living financially unstable, enduring discriminatory and injusto practices and cultures, and still worried about several loved ones. Mi familia transverses the six of us. I acknowledge that the 1993 case was a life (and deportation) savior for most of my family.  I acknowledge the ability to live in lesser fear. I want you to acknowledge that getting benefits and “security” is not always truest to their words. I want you to acknowledge that la experiencia de un inmigrante no ha cambiado y la guerra para igualdad sigue más fuerte que nunca. Yo quiero lo más mejor por mis padres, mis parientes, y esos de la misma o peor experiencia. Tú eres querido, importante, y vital en este mundo. Y en el fin, yo asciendo por la guerra, por la gente, por mi gente, y por vos.

¿Necesita ayuda con la traducción? Need assistance with translation? Visit http://www.spanishdict.com/

I rise for our undocumented people whose voices are silenced. Our voices are silenced as soon as we internalize the belief that living in the shadows is our best chance at assimilating. We know this is oppression, but it keeps us relatively safe from deportation, discrimination, prejudice and their ripple effects that wound our families and spirits of life. Essentially, our shelter in the shadows is living fear in silence.

Like many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country, I was born on the “wrong” side of the border. My home country is Mexico, Mexico City where I recollect 7 years worth of wonderful countryside memories with my mom’s family. I also vividly remember my crises of identity when I realized I was the abandoned child in the family. As a single mother and head of the household, my mom worked vehemently with a desperate heart for our reunion. In 2005, “coyotes” brought me over the border, across grasslands and from underground housing networks to my mother-daughter reunion. While we did bond effortlessly, I was well aware of my suppressed resentment toward my mom’s decision; a decision I felt placed me in a deeper crisis of identity than ever before. After many reflections and questions, I have come to understand and respect her valiant decision.

Shortly after making peace with the decision that flipped my world on its head, the 2016 election happened. I could not stop crying. Feelings of betrayal, anxiety, and confusion pained my mind and body. Then, everything changed when my dear friend asked me to speak out. You see, I am an immigrant with privilege in this country. DACA temporarily protects me from deportation, and it grants me permission to work here. Most importantly, it gives way for the peace of mind many undocumented immigrants are very likely to never experience. I am an immigrant with privilege.

When my dear friend asked me to advocate and organize for change, it dawned on me that I could no longer remain silent. Had I rejected her hand for help, I would have done a great injustice to her, my loved ones, our fighters in the shadows, and myself.