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Stay safe and warm!

The job market moves fast — and waiting until you "feel ready" can mean missing out on opportunities. Staying ahead of the curve isn't about doing everything at once; it's about being intentional, prepared, and proactive long before deadlines and job postings pile up.

Whether you're just starting your search or actively applying, a forward-thinking approach can give you a major advantage.

Start Earlier Than You Think You Should

Many employers recruit months in advance, especially for competitive internships and entry-level roles. Use the academic calendar to your advantage by starting your search early and tracking timelines so you're not scrambling later.

Build Skills While You Search

Waiting to hear back from employers doesn't mean waiting on growth. Use online courses, certifications, micro-internships, and personal projects to strengthen your technical and professional skills. Employers value candidates who continue learning — even between opportunities.

Be Strategic with Networking

The strongest opportunities often come through connections, not cold applications. Start building relationships early with peers, alumni, faculty, and employers. Use platforms like Retrievers Connect to find mentors in your field. Ask questions, stay curious, and follow up — networking is about conversation, not perfection.

Refresh Your Materials Regularly

Your resume, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio should evolve as you do. Revisit them each semester to add new skills, more relevant projects, or key accomplishments. Small updates now can save time and stress later — just be sure you're tracking outcomes data tied to your work to showcase on your materials.

Use Data to Guide Your Search

Pay attention to trends in your industry — job titles, skills in demand, and emerging roles. In Steppingblocks, select the Search360° tool from the Tools menu on the left to access data and insights related to specific careers or majors. Let that information guide what you learn, apply for, and pursue next. A targeted search is always more effective than a scattered one. Be intentional with your exploration. 

Keep Momentum, Even When It's Hard

Job searching can feel unpredictable and out of your control. Set weekly goals, celebrate small wins, and remember that progress isn't always immediate. Staying consistent is often what separates those who succeed from those who stall.

What's Next?

If you want support staying proactive and prepared, consider setting up an appointment with a Career advisor on Handshake to get a jump start on your next steps. 

The Global Asias Initiative (GAI) at UMBC is holding a workshop to help support and curate an exhibit of creative works produced by students that relate and help illustrate understandings and relationalities to Asia as understood through a Global Asias framework. In the workshop, students will read and unpack a text written by Tina Chen (Global Asias: Method, Architecture, and Praxis) in order to better understand Global Asias, a theoretical, multidisciplinary framework that brings together the fields of Asian American and Asian Studies. We will work together to create an exhibit of student work that translates and explains Global Asias as an analytical lens to the campus and wider public. 

Students will arrive to the first session with a project they have either completed in a prior class or with a project in mind as well as having read an assigned text on Global Asias. Together with faculty mentors, we will discuss the text and clarify any questions in order to strengthen our collective understanding of the Global Asias framework.

In the second session, students will work to hone their project and work on writing artist statements that explain to a public audience how their piece reflects Global Asias–what Global Asias concept(s) does their piece draw on? How can we see that concept or process illustrated or represented in the piece? 

Participating in this workshop will help strengthen public writing skills, hone reading skills, and is an opportunity you can put on your resume/CV. 

Please make sure to keep available 5/1 for the exhibition install date and 5/4 for the Exhibition Reception.  

Applications are due Wed, February 11, 2026 by 11:59pm.

Application Process:

By 11:59pm on Wed., Feb.11, 2026: Submit responses via the following application form: https://forms.gle/3WBUUEA9NyrC16QU6 

Make sure to include:

• 1-2 sentence description of project 

• 2-3 sentence statement of why you're interested in participating 

WORKSHOP TIMELINE:

Session 1 (Friday 2/27, 12:00-2pm): reading & activity that asks that helps guide the revision of their project and helps them brainstorming their "artist statement"

In between sessions: students send advanced drafts

Session 2 (Friday 4/10, 12:00-2pm): bring workshopped/revised project, share. finalize and create connections between pieces.

(lunch will be provided)

Exhibition Install date: Friday, 5/1

Exhibition Reception: Monday 5/4

PAYMENT DISBURSEMENT:

Participating students will receive a $300 stipend. Receiving the stipend is dependent on completion of both workshop sessions and installing their piece in the exhibition. 

CONTACT INFO:

Please reach out to Dr. Mika Thornburg at mthornburg@umbc.edu, Dr. Tamara Bhalla at tbhalla@umbc.edu or Priya Bhayana at priyab@umbc.edu with any questions.

See original post, here.

Attention all UMBC student employees!  

What could be better than having an on-campus job?

Having an on-campus job and getting a notation on your transcript that tells employers you made the effort to enhance your professional development!

Interested in gaining a competitive edge in the job market? Sign up for PRAC 102- Building Skills for Career Success this Spring semester. Don’t worry, it’s not a formal class! With the minimal commitment of attending a few workshops and career events, you will be better prepared for the world of work and have the proof on your college transcript to show your employer.

DEADLINE TO REQUEST ENROLLMENT: Friday, February 27, 2026

Make your campus experience count! Enroll TODAY! Enrollment is limited to the first 40 student employees. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!  

Open to all levels and majors. You must be a UMBC student employee working at least eight hours per week on campus. 

How to Register Online

1. Log in to Handshake, then navigate to Career Center > Experiences.

2. Click “Submit an Experience” and select “Career Center – On-Campus Student Employment (PRAC 102- Building Skills for Career Success)” as the Experience Type. Fill in the required fields and submit.

3. Your registration will be reviewed within two business days. The Career Center will enroll you directly upon review along with sending you additional details.

QUESTIONS, please get in touch with Stephanie Taylor Okoukoni (staylor18@umbc.edu) 

Name: Aditya Kulkarni

Pronouns: He/Him

Semester of Internship: Summer 2025

Major: Computer Science 

Current Class Level: Master's Student 

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): Brillio LLC

Location of the Organization (City, State): Remote

Title of position: AI Engineer Intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities:

During my internship as an AI Engineer at Brillio, I was part of a team working on building an automated customer care system leveraging Generative AI. My day-to-day responsibilities involved integrating Figma with a React-based application to streamline how customer interactions were captured and processed. I developed workflows that automatically extracted file IDs and node IDs from FigJam URLs, enabling seamless retrieval and processing of customer journey maps. I also worked on setting up automated surveys within FigJam, which generated structured user stories that will later serve as training data for AI models powering the customer care platform. Additionally, I explored the potential of AWS Bedrock and its foundation models for future deployment, documenting how they could enhance scalability and efficiency for the project. Beyond the technical aspects, I collaborated with the design and development teams, managed local plugins, and gained experience in using tools like Figma for product integration. This role allowed me to build a strong foundation in AI-driven application development while contributing to a project with meaningful real-world applications in the healthcare domain.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I obtained my internship at Brillio through proactive networking and outreach on LinkedIn rather than a traditional job portal. I came across the opportunity while exploring AI-related roles and decided to directly connect with professionals at Brillio to learn more about the company's work in Generative AI. Through these conversations, I was able to understand how my background in process engineering and programming could align with their projects. After establishing those connections, I was encouraged to apply and submitted my application in early May 2025. This was followed by an interview process where I discussed my technical skills, problem-solving ability, and interest in AI-driven automation. Shortly after, I received an offer and officially started my internship in July 2025.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

LinkedIn or other social media

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?

What I enjoyed the most about my internship at Brillio was the opportunity to work on a project that had both real-world relevance and future scalability. I particularly valued the collaborative environment, where I was able to interact closely with cross-functional teams including designers, developers, and AI specialists. This not only exposed me to diverse perspectives but also helped me understand how different pieces of a project come together to build an end-to-end solution. I found it rewarding to see my contributions—such as integrating Figma with the React application and setting up automated workflows—directly add value to the larger project vision of creating an AI-driven customer care platform. Additionally, the organization fostered a culture of continuous learning, where I had the flexibility to explore emerging tools like AWS Bedrock and gain exposure to cutting-edge AI applications. Overall, the combination of technical growth, teamwork, and the chance to contribute to a meaningful innovation made the experience both enjoyable and enriching.

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

I made an impact through my work at Brillio by helping lay the foundation for an AI-driven customer care platform that can eventually transform how organizations interact with their clients. By linking Figma with the React application and creating workflows to capture and process user journey maps automatically, I streamlined a process that would have otherwise required manual intervention. Setting up automated surveys within FigJam that generated structured user stories also provided the project team with a scalable method of building training data for future AI models. These contributions not only saved time for the design and development teams but also ensured that the project moved one step closer to achieving its long-term vision of an entirely automated customer center. Beyond the technical work, I contributed to documentation and knowledge-sharing, which will help the team continue building upon the systems I helped integrate. While my internship was short, the tools and processes I implemented will have lasting value for the project.

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

My advice to another student seeking an internship or similar experience would be to focus on proactive networking and showcasing genuine curiosity about the work being done at an organization. Many opportunities don't come solely through job portals but through reaching out directly to professionals on platforms like LinkedIn, starting conversations, and demonstrating how your skills align with their projects. It's also important to tailor your application materials to highlight both your technical expertise and your ability to work collaboratively, since employers value problem-solving and communication as much as hard skills. During the internship, stay open to learning beyond your immediate tasks—sometimes exploring a new tool or contributing to documentation can make a lasting impact. Finally, don't hesitate to ask questions and seek feedback; showing initiative and a willingness to learn often leaves a stronger impression than having all the answers.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

I really enjoyed the collaborative environment at Brillio, where I could see my work directly contributing to an impactful AI-driven project. The Career Center's guidance on refining my application materials and networking strategies gave me the confidence to reach out on LinkedIn and ultimately secure this opportunity.

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