Celebrating TWO long-time Shriver Center Community Engaged Learning Leaders, Emmanuella Osei and Nardos Kebede.
Congratulations to both Emmanuella and Nardos for these accomplishments!
Congratulations to Nardos Kebede for earning the Rangel Fellowship!
The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. Each year, the Rangel Program selects about 40 outstanding Rangel Fellows in a highly competitive nationwide process and helps support them through two years of graduate study, internships and professional development activities, and entry into the Foreign Service.
At UMBC, Nardos is a political science major, a McNair Scholar, a Sondheim Scholar, a Writing Center Tutor, and a member of the Honors College. She has been an intern with the U.S. Foreign Service where she worked in the Bureau of African Affairs within the office of East Africa inside the Department of State. She also participated in Georgetown University's Political Science Predoctoral Summer Institute.
At URCAD (2023) , she presented an original, SRI funded political science research project (under the mentorship of Dr. Cynthia Hody) as a poster titled "The Effects of Different Birth Rates upon Industrial Output within Nigerian States".
Congratulations Nardos!!
For more information about the Rangel and other prestigious scholarships, email Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu.
]]>Name: Robin Paranilam
Pronouns: He/Him
Semester of Internship:Summer 2024
Major:Computer Engineering, Mathematics, and Statistics
Current Class Level:Senior
This semester I completed a(n):Internship
Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
Location of the Organization (City, State):Laurel, MD
Title of position:Systems Engineering Intern
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities:
I worked on a variety of projects during my summer at APL, including helping with software modernization for some in-house analysis tools, formulating a Gen-AI based knowledge tool that would help people within my group get the resources they need, and applying DevOps principles to help automate software processes relating to the work my group did. I also participated in an intern project where my group focused on creating solutions to make APL more accessible. Outside of these projects, I was able to participate in other things going on at the lab. I took a machine learning course, networked throughout the lab, attended various professional development seminars/programs, and I was even able to meet with the director of APL, Ralph Semmel, who actually completed his PhD at UMBC.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I went to a UMBCConnects session with APL in the fall before my internship. They collected my resume, and I continued to apply online to any APL job postings that interested me. Around December, a group supervisor at APL contacted me about interning in his group and set up an interview. I was able to chat with some of the other engineers I'd be working with, and I received an offer afterward.
What resources did you use to find your current experience?
UMBC Career Center, Networking events (UMBC Connects, Info Sessions, Arts With a Purpose, etc.)
What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?
I like that the work I do at APL is challenging yet applicable to modern-day problems, and I felt like I was contributing to my projects in a meaningful way. In addition, the people at APL were so friendly and open to helping me pursue any topics I was interested in. This allowed me to learn a lot from my experience and figure out what I really wanted to focus on in terms of a career in engineering.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I contributed to some essential deliverables for the main project I was working on, and I was able to also set the foundation for some of the newer, innovative research projects I helped develop. In addition, an intern project I worked on with other APL interns relating to making the lab more accessible gained interest from leadership at the company, wanting to develop the concept further.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Keep applying and getting your resume out there, you never know what opportunities lie around you. Going to networking events and utilizing your resources, both within UMBC and externally, is crucial in today's market. There are plenty of tools and people available at UMBC to help you in your career development, and in the meantime, continue your self-development learn skills that apply to the career you want to pursue.
Starting your career journey can feel like an overwhelming task, especially if you have yet to land relevant experience for your resume. However, with the right approach and mindset, landing your first career experience is not only possible, but also achievable.
Here are some essential tips to get your foot in the door with employers:
Tailor Your Resume. Optimize your resume as much as possible by aligning relevant experiences and skills with your job descriptions of interest. Use ChatGPT to determine the top skill-based keywords in the job description and see which ones can be incorporated into your resume. Not able to hit all the qualifications? No worries! Research has shown that just matching 50% of the keywords is good enough to be invited to an interview (1).
Develop Your Network. The power of networking when it comes to the job market cannot be understated, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics citing that 70% of jobs are found through networking (2). The Career Center offers a variety of different events with networking opportunities, including career fairs, industry panels, and UMBC Connects events, such as our campus visit with Career Center Employer Partner Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab on Wednesday, November 20th. There are also several online options to help build your network, including Retrievers Connect and the UMBC Alumni tab on LinkedIn.
Build Your Online Presence. According to Harvard Business Review, 40% of recruiters say that they have hired a candidate based on their LinkedIn profile alone (3). Therefore, it’s important to start building a LinkedIn profile that’s worth reviewing. Add a professional headshot and relevant cover photo, craft a strong About section, and include media and skills to your experiences. Need help with your profile? Schedule a LinkedIn appointment with the Career Center.
Get Interview Ready. Review common interview questions and make sure you’re comfortable answering them. For behavioral questions, prepare stories showcasing your skills using the STAR Approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Use Big Interview to practice answering questions in real-time, and share your videos with the Career Center for feedback. You can also schedule an Interview Prep or Practice Interview appointment to meet with someone in person.
Consider Volunteer Work. Search for local organizations that champion causes you’re passionate about and reach out to them to see if you can work for them. If you’re able to do tasks related to your major or industry of interest, that’s even better. Or you might consider exploring the many programs and initiatives of The Shriver Center or work closely with a faculty member in their research lab on campus. Either way, you’ll gain valuable and meaningful work experience. For more information about volunteer work and the job market, check out this blog post.
In conclusion, your efforts will pay off if you approach your job search strategically and stay persistent with the process. Everything mentioned here may take time, but with consistent effort, your first career will soon be within reach.
(2) https://jobs.washingtonpost.com/article/how-to-land-a-job-by-networking
(3) https://hbr.org/2019/05/your-approach-to-hiring-is-all-wrong
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