Career Development Month - Professional Development Workshops and Seminars

Our partners from University of Maryland Baltimore have extended an invitation to UMBC graduate students and postdocs to attend these professional development sessions online. We hope you have the opportunity to take advantage of them.

UMB’s Career Development Month Planning Committee, representing career development professionals from each of UMB’s professional schools and central administration, is gearing up for Career Development Month scheduled for March 2025. This month-long series will consist of virtual career development events as well as resume/CV reviews and Mock Interviews. The event is open to all UMBC students, staff, faculty, and post-docs. Click this link to see the full list of offerings and to register for individual events.

Crafting the Perfect Resume & CV – Understanding the Key Differences

Thursday, March 6

2 – 3 PM

Join us for an informative webinar on how to create a compelling resume or CV that highlights your skills, experience, and achievements. This session will cover the fundamental differences between a resume and a CV, when to use each, and best practices for formatting and content. This webinar will provide valuable insights to help you stand out in the job market. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your career prospects with a well-structured and impactful document!

Financial Vision for Your Future

Tuesday, March 11

Noon – 1 PM

Chris Sarlo, founder of Life Science Wealth, will discuss how to set yourself up for financial success early in your career. Discussion topics will include what to look for and how to evaluate job offers beyond the salary being offered.

Using AI to Develop Your Resume and Cover Letter

Tuesday, March 25

Noon – 1 PM

Join us for an insightful webinar on how to leverage AI tools to craft compelling resumes and cover letters that stand out. Learn how to optimize your documents for applicant tracking systems (ATS), tailor your applications for specific job postings, and enhance your professional branding. Whether you're entering the job market or looking to refine your existing materials, this session will provide practical tips and live demonstrations to help you create polished, AI-assisted job applications with ease.

Salary Negotiation

Wednesday, March 26

12 Noon – 1 PM

You have been offered a job but maybe the salary is not what you hoped for. This session will cover strategies to use when negotiating your salary and other work benefits.

Please visit use this link to sign up for a Resume Review and Mock Interview

Join the Baltimore Impact Networking Night to connect mission-driven ventures and skilled student talent for an evening of networking and collaboration. This event is designed to foster meaningful connections between Baltimore-based ventures looking to grow and the next generation of student innovators eager to apply their skills to real-world impact. Whether you're a founder seeking talent or a student looking for hands-on experience, the Baltimore Impact Networking Night is where ideas meet opportunity!

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Time: 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Place: Pava Center for Entrepreneurship, Johns Hopkins University, 320 West 29th Street, Suite # 200, Baltimore, MD 21211

Here is the registration link for students. Please share this with your student networks. You can also use the following bit.ly link for any social media posts or email blasts you send out: http://bit.ly/Baltimore-Impact-Mix-Match25

Founders who want to table will use a separate link. See below

I have attached a flyer for the event to this email for you to share as well.

The event is open to undergraduate, graduate and PHD students interested in working with social impact companies in Baltimore.

Opportunities for students to engage with our social enterprises may include: internships, contractual work, volunteer opportunities, and even opportunities to join a venture as a co-founders.

Founders will be asked to create and present a scope of work for interested students that describes what opportunities they have for students and if the opportunity is paid or voluntary.

If you have any social impact founders that would be interested in tabling at the event, they should register sign up using a separate form. That form can be found here.

Please only refer founders that you feel are ready and have the capacity to bring on students. We want the opportunity to be engaging, educational and fulfilling for students who participate.

If interested, we would love for you to table as well. Please come prepared with marketing and informational materials about your programs and upcoming opportunities for either students or founders to participate. Please let us know by EOD on March 10 if you are interested in tabling.

The Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising has openings available for Winter Orientation Advisors! Advisors meet with incoming undergraduate students VIRTUALLY during the months of June-August in one-on-one sessions to plan out and register for classes. No previous experience is required, and we will provide all training necessary!

Besides compensation, this is a rare chance for graduate students to gain professional and interpersonal experience. Depending on your field, your time as a student may not open you up to many client-facing interactions, and this is a pathway to gaining that experience. If you are considering a career in academia, meanwhile, advising experience is highly sought-after in faculty openings.

Advisors are eligible to be compensated at the rate of $100 per afternoon session and $50 per evening or morning session, with the opportunity to work several sessions during the month. Participants are also eligible to earn the Orientation Advisor microcredential! More information on microcredentials and Digital Badging can be found here: https://badges.umbc.edu/

Grad students on F-1 visas ARE eligible for this work and invited to apply!

We are offering informational sessions for anyone interested or who even just MIGHT be interested in finding out about this exciting opportunity to expand their skillsets, make meaningful connections, serve their departments, and get paid! No RSVP necessary.

Thursday, March 6 at 5:30pm (virtual - https://umbc.webex.com/meet/korossy1)

Monday, March 10 at 11:00am (in-person - Sherman Hall 220)

For additional details, see the application HERE, which is due by March 19.

Laszlo Korossy, Ph.D.

Assistant Director of Advising, Outreach, and Assessment

Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising

Besides compensation, this is a rare chance for graduate students to gain professional and interpersonal experience. Depending on your field, your time as a student may not open you up to many client-facing interactions, and this is a pathway to gaining that experience. If you are considering a career in academia, meanwhile, advising experience is highly sought-after in faculty openings.

Advisors are eligible to be compensated at the rate of $100 per afternoon session and $50 per evening or morning session, with the opportunity to work several sessions during the month. Participants are also eligible to earn the Orientation Advisor microcredential! More information on microcredentials and Digital Badging can be found here: https://badges.umbc.edu/

Grad students on F-1 visas ARE eligible for this work and invited to apply!

Thursday, March 6 at 5:30pm (virtual - https://umbc.webex.com/meet/korossy1)
Monday, March 10 at 11:00am (in-person - Sherman Hall 220)

For additional details, see the application HERE, which is due by March 19.

The Center for Democracy and Civic Life is seeking undergraduate and graduate students to play leading roles in its 2025 - 2026 programs as affiliates (peer leaders) with the Center. Affiliates include STRiVE coaches (undergraduate students only), Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leaders (undergraduate and graduate students), and ConnectionCorps participants (undergraduate and graduate students).

Applications for affiliate positions are due Friday, April 4, 2025. Use this form to apply. Read on for more information about the positions.

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STRiVE coaches

STRiVE is an immersive five-day leadership for public purpose program for UMBC undergraduate students organized by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in partnership with the Student Government Association. STRiVE helps inspire and support students in becoming more effective leaders and contributors to their communities, especially the UMBC community. STRiVE participants develop friendships; discover their strengths and values; learn how to work more effectively in groups; envision contributions they could make at UMBC; engage issues relating to identity, privilege, and systemic oppression; and tackle both simulated and real leadership and social change challenges. STRiVE 2026 will take place from January 12 - 16, 2026.

STRiVE 2026 will be facilitated by a team of staff and undergraduate student coaches organized and trained by Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff. Together, the coaches will rehearse sessions and make plans for an intensive, engaging STRiVE experience for participants. Each student coach will be paired with a staff coach to facilitate activities for a small group (a “pod”) that will meet regularly during STRiVE. Coaches will be trained to facilitate pod and large group sessions.

Required time commitments for STRiVE coaches include:

Fall 2025 Time Commitment:

Coach Retreat #1: Saturday, September 20, 2025, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in person)
Regular meetings and independent work with your staff pod coach partner, co-facilitators, and Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff throughout the semester, with an average time commitment of 1 hour per week (scheduled independently)

Winter 2025 Time Commitment:

Regular meetings and independent work with your staff pod coach partner and co-facilitators, until STRiVE (scheduled independently)
Coach Retreat #2: Monday, January 5, 2026, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in person)
Coach Retreat #3: Friday, January 9, 2026, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in person)
STRiVE Program: Monday, January 12 - Friday, January 16, 2026, all day (in person)
One 1.5 hour debrief meeting (date, time, and format TBD) post-STRiVE

These are substantial commitments that STRiVE coaches are expected to balance with their classes and other activities and responsibilities.

STRiVE coaches receive a $1,000 stipend and a zero credit practicum notification (PRAC 121-04) on their transcript for winter 2026.

All undergraduate students are invited to apply. Applicants who have previously participated in STRiVE will be given preference in the selection process.

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Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leaders

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a five-day immersive learning experience for undergraduate and graduate UMBC students. During ASB, participants explore the systemic and human dimensions of complex social issues in Baltimore, spending most of the week in small groups focusing on a specific issue or challenge. ASB groups work with community partners, elected officials, and scholars, in part to help participants identify their own pathways to long-term community engagement. ASB 2026 will take place during the week of UMBC’s Spring Break: March 16 - 20, 2026.

ASB 2026 will be developed by a team of student leaders organized and trained by Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff during the summer 2025, fall 2025, and spring 2026 semesters. Together, the leaders will develop plans for a holistic, empowering ASB experience for participants.

ASB leaders will work in pairs to develop small group experiences exploring social issues in Baltimore. Past ASB groups have explored challenges and solutions relating to equitable access to housing, nutritious food, and health care; disability justice; support for youth impacted by intimate partner violence; and a variety of other issues. Leader pairs can develop an experience relating to one of these topics, or to a new topic they propose.

Required time commitments for ASB leaders include:

Summer 2025 Time Commitment:

Leadership Retreat 1: Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, 2025, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (virtual)
Leadership Retreat 2: Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17, 2025, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (virtual)
Regular meetings and independent work with your partner and Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff in between the two leadership retreats, with an average time commitment of 2 hours per week (scheduled independently)

Fall 2025 Time Commitment:

Regular meetings with Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff every Friday from 10 a.m. - noon between September 5 and December 5, 2025 (in person)
Regular meetings and independent work with your partner throughout the semester (scheduled independently)

Spring 2026 Time Commitment

Leadership Retreat 3: Saturday, March 7, 2025, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (in person)
Regular meetings and independent work with your partner and Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff throughout the semester, until ASB (scheduled independently)
Alternative Spring Break Program: Monday, March 16 - Friday, March 20, 2025, all day (in person)
One 1.5 hour debrief meeting (date, time, and format TBD) post-ASB

These are substantial commitments that ASB leaders will need to balance with their classes and other activities and responsibilities.

ASB leaders receive a $2,000 stipend and a zero credit practicum notification (PRAC 121-03) on their transcripts for fall 2025 and spring 2026.

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply. Applicants who have previously participated in ASB will be given preference in the selection process.

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ConnectionCorps participants

ConnectionCorps is a training program for UMBC undergraduate and graduate students aspiring to build skills in facilitating conversations that encourage authentic connection and democratic participation.

During the fall semester, members of the ConnectionCorps cohort participate in weekly training sessions, which will take place on Fridays between September 5 and December 5, 2025 from 3 - 4:30 p.m. Participants also have optional opportunities throughout the semester to hone their skills by facilitating small group conversations within Center programs.

These are substantial commitments that ConnectionCorps participants are expected to balance with class schedules, and other activities and responsibilities.

ConnectionCorps participants will have an opportunity to apply to continue the program in the spring semester to further hone their skills by developing and facilitating their own “Connectionary” dialogue programs in consultation with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life team. The application for the spring portion of ConnectionCorps will be released in November 2025.

ConnectionCorps participants receive a $250 stipend during the fall portion of the program and a zero credit practicum notification (PRAC 121-05) on their transcripts for fall 2025.

ConnectionCorps participants selected to join the spring portion of the program will receive an additional $750 stipend.

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply. (Important: This application is only for the fall portion of ConnectionCorps. Applicants do not need to commit now to applying for the second portion in the spring.)

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Use this form to apply to be a STRiVE coach, Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leader, and/or ConnectionCorps participant for the 2025 - 2026 academic year. Again, applications are due Friday, April 4, 2025.

If you have any questions, you can contact us directly at civiclife@umbc.edu.

The Graduate School is launching our gradSERU survey campaign, “Your Voice, Our Commitment, Shaping a Better Graduate Student Experience.”

This survey aims to gauge the graduate Student Experience at the Research University (SERU) at UMBC. The participants will have an opportunity to be one of the 10 winners of $500 in Retriever dollars.

*Retriever dollars can be used to pay for tuition, buy books, event tickets, UMBC apparel, etc.

The survey goes live tomorrow, March 5. Look at your email for an email from Etio. The sooner you complete the survey, the more chances you have to win.

Events hosted on March 5:

Trivia Event hosted by the GSA @ 4 PM – ITE 102 – Launch of grad SERU
RCR Microcredential Series Session 3: Human Subjects Research @ 5:30 PM – Sherman Hall 145

We hope to see you tomorrow!

Dinner with Friends: Lockdown Stories is a dinner and conversation program. UMBC community members (undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and alumni) will have the opportunity to share stories and participate in table conversations about their experiences of the COVID lockdowns that began in March 2020. The conversations will be structured to foster healing and connection, and to generate lessons that can sustain us all through challenging times.

This event is open to the entire UMBC community, but space is limited. Complete this brief RSVP form to reserve your spot.

This event is organized by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in collaboration with the Adjunct Faculty Advisory Committee; College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Exempt Staff Senate; Graduate Student Association; NAMI at UMBC; Non-Exempt Staff Senate; Retriever Integrated Health; and Student Government Association.

We invite you to join us for a special opportunity to meet the artist Marc Archambault, the artist selected to commission a unique artwork for Sherman Hall! Marc will share his design in-process concept, and insights into his creative process, and welcome your thoughts on the artwork's development. We hope you’ll be part of the conversation.

We look forward to seeing you there! Please RSVP here.

Public Art Preview
Wed. March 26
12:00 – 1:00 pm
PAHB, Room #132

Meet the Artist: Open House
Thurs. March 27
12:00 – 3:00 pm
The Commons, near the Bookstore

These events are free and open to the UMBC community

Monday, March 10, 2025 · 5:30 - 7:30 PM