Scott Resource Group will hold a drawing for ten [10] $50 Amazon.com gift cards following the survey closing date, and all students who have submitted a completed survey by then will be eligible to win!
Scott Resource Group, a well-established university recruitment consulting firm, is partnering with selected career centers nationwide, including UMBC, to conduct an important student research project. The findings of this study will influence how employers recruit students using virtual platforms going forward – and with so many unknowns remaining as we look ahead, this is your opportunity to weigh in on your experiences and their impact – along with your preferences for post-pandemic job search practices and tools.
The survey, ‘The Virtual Candidate Experience: Early Talent Benchmarks’ will take a deep-dive into this year’s pandemic-induced plunge into the world of digital recruiting. Topics will include job boards, virtual career fairs, online recruiting events, and digital interviewing. You’ll be asked to confidentially evaluate your experiences with both the ‘most effective and impressive’ employers during your job search – as well as those that, in your opinion, have “the biggest opportunity to improve”. The ultimate objective is to help employers and career centers understand how students differentiate among opportunities in a virtual recruiting world so that everyone can up their game.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, please respond to ScottResourceGroup@comcast.net indicating your interest by indicating ‘VCX Survey’ in the subject line.. Survey links will be sent beginning the week of March 8th, and the fielding period will extend until Friday, March 26th.
We appreciate your consideration – Let your voice be heard!
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Spring break is March 14-21.
Residence halls will remain open during break.
Travel by any community member is strongly discouraged.
All community members approved to be on campus must continue to symptom track.
Dear UMBC Community,
As we approach Spring Break, March 14 ﹘ 21, we want to remind our community of the essential health and safety precautions we will need to incorporate into our spring break plans. While UMBC has continued to maintain a positivity rate that is substantially lower than surrounding communities, minimizing your exposure and risk over the break will be an essential part of our ability to continue our plans for the remainder of the semester.
Faculty, staff, and students who are approved to be on campus have already received detailed instructions for the break. Current residential students are strongly encouraged to remain on campus during the break and those that stay on campus must continue to test. All other community members approved to be on campus should pause their regular testing schedule, unless they come to campus for work or research during that week. Please do not visit campus during the break unless it is required. All community members approved to be on campus must continue daily online symptom tracking 7 days a week throughout the entire break in order to remain in compliance.
In addition to on-campus safety measures, please keep in mind that travel restrictions remain in place in Maryland and we strongly discourage any travel, particularly traveling outside of the state. We also ask that you continue to follow state restrictions and not participate in large gatherings and limit your exposure in public places and other high risk situations. Please continue to practice physical distancing, mask wearing, and frequent hand washing.
This has been a challenging year and many people are experiencing fatigue and frustration at the continued isolation and physical distancing required of us during this pandemic. We know that this has been a sacrifice and we appreciate all that you have done and continue to do to keep yourselves, your families, and our community safe. We hope that you find a way to relax and recharge over break and we look forward to connecting with you after the break.
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
Payments: During Spring Break, all Academic Buildings will be closed. If you would like to make a payment the easiest and fastest way to pay is online. Click on this link for more information https://sbs.umbc.edu/payments/.
Questions: Questions can be submitted through our RT system and we will respond to all inquires within 48 hours of our return to campus on March 22, 2021 – Submit an RT ticket
Account Balance: If you want to know your current Account Balance please follow the instructions found at this link https://sbs.umbc.edu/billing/account-inquiry/
1098-T tax form: You can view your 1098-T tax form online by following the directions at this link https://sbs.umbc.edu/1098-t/
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Residential Life is currently accepting applications for the following hourly positions for 2021-2022. Information about each position can be found below. The application deadline is Friday, March 26, 2021. Click here to apply for these positions today!
Please see the latest updates on UMBC’s Retriever Ready website. Questions? Email covid19@umbc.edu.
Recently, four Asian-owned Maryland restaurants were broken into and burglarized at the start of the Lunar New Year. Urban Hot Pot, Kung Fu Tea and Bonchon in the Columbia Mall, and East Moon Asian Bistro in Ellicott City were all victims of Anti-Asian xenophobic hate crimes. These harmful events are not only happening in our backyard. Over the past year, we have been witnessing a dramatic uptick, by 1900%, in Anti-Asian xenophobic hate crimes against the broader Asian/American, Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. In particular, East Asian Americans and immigrants have been repeatedly blamed for the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to harm, exclusion, and emotional distress.
Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b) actively stands with our AAPI community, and strongly denounces hate and violence in all its forms. We know that toxic misinformed scapegoating has dangerous impacts on marginalized communities, like the ones we see now and throughout our country’s history. It’s more than just a broken window or harmful anti-AAPI jokes, these events symbolize patterns and are symptomatic of systemic racism and xenophobia. We also know that daily experiences with racism and xenophobia can lead to racial trauma, excessive stress, hypervigilance, physical illness, and so much more.
To our AAPI community, we see you, you matter, and we are here to offer support in any way that we can. Your pain is not going unseen or unheard. Please reach out to us as you feel comfortable. Stay tuned for continued conversations from i3b in the upcoming weeks highlighting our AAPI community. You can also connect with the Asian American Faculty and Staff Council on myUMBC and find this post on Instagram (@umbc_i3b).
]]>Monday / Lunes, March 3/8 de marzo; 7pm eastern / 6pm central / 4pm pacific
This event will be fully bilingual / Este evento será totalmente bilingue
USE YOUR CYBER SKILLS ON A MISSION OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE
EXPLORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TODAY.
cia.gov/careers
WHAT IF KEEPING AMERICA SAFE WAS YOUR JOB?
There are no ordinary jobs at the CIA. This is a place where your skills are used in unique ways to serve a higher purpose: keeping our nation secure. Sure, you could take your expertise to the private sector, but the CIA is the place where your work is at the heart of world-shaping events. Here, you’re helping to deliver global intelligence to the highest levels of power – and ultimately protecting your family, friends and neighbors. When you join this extraordinary workforce, you will work alongside passionate, talented professionals who share your drive to deliver quality work that helps protect all that we value.
THE MOST CRITICAL CYBER ARENA IS RIGHT HERE
What if you were charged with making sense of nearly all the world’s data? Or gathering intelligence from adversary systems and networks? You can be part of these missions and more when you embark upon a cyber career with the CIA. Cyber security plays a critical role in protecting our country, and our cyber experts work day in and day out to stay ahead of the latest technology and threats.
You could be taking a proactive approach to safeguarding against attacks. Or you could be focusing on preventive and reactive measures and fixing system vulnerabilities. No matter your role, it’s this kind of cutting-edge work that makes our days exciting and helps keep the American people safe. At the CIA, you will encounter the most interesting, challenging and important cyber work anywhere.
“Each CIA officer is critical to the success of our mission and each contribution is valued.” — CIA senior employee
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF INTELLIGENCE
There are a number of vital cyber-related positions at the CIA.
Explore what’s available and decide what might be a good fit for you.
“The 21st century needs imaginative officers to face challenges that extend beyond the traditional security threats.” — CIA Cyber Threat Analyst
CYBER EXPLOITATION OFFICER
Cyber Exploitation Officers use a holistic understanding of digital capabilities to evaluate and exploit digital and all-source intelligence information to identify key adversaries and assess how they operate and interact. In this dynamic, ever-expanding digital environment, you will use a variety of digital analytic tools and methods to extract valuable information from digital data. Leveraging advanced methods and tools, you will exploit data sets as well as identify intelligence gaps.
CYBER OPERATIONS OFFICER
Cyber Operations Officers gather intelligence from adversarial systems and networks using advanced tools, techniques and tradecraft. Working in a fast-paced, challenging and collaborative environment, you will utilize your knowledge of network penetration testing, network defense, operating systems, communication technologies and network security to help lead the future of the Agency’s intelligence mission.
CYBER SECURITY OFFICER
Cyber Security Officers are responsible for protecting the CIA’s information technology (IT) systems and data from compromise by its adversaries. Using a combination of technical skills, industry-leading tools and advanced tradecraft, you will have the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of IT protection at the CIA, such as penetration testing, incident response, system assessments and data protection. You will have opportunities to partner with IT engineers and developers from across the entire Agency to understand their unique mission needs and ensure that their IT systems support the mission of the CIA in the most secure way possible.
CYBER THREAT ANALYST
Cyber Threat Analysts conduct all-source analysis, digital forensics and targeting to identify, monitor, assess and counter the threat posed by foreign cyber actors against US information systems, critical infrastructure and cyber-related interests. You will support the President, the National Security Council and other US policymakers with strategic assessments and provide tactical analysis and advice for operations.
DIGITAL TARGETER
Digital Targeters apply technical expertise to exploit clandestine and publicly available information using specialized methodologies and digital tools to plan, initiate and support technical operations and human-based operations. In this
role, you will be a creative architect and enabler for cutting-edge operations focused on a wide range of priorities.
DIGITAL FORENSICS ENGINEER
Digital Forensics Engineers scientifically research, collect, process, analyze and present findings in support of vulnerability mitigation, data recovery and assessing and identifying malicious behaviors within digital datasets. You will be working on the Agency’s toughest technology challenges and cyber threats. You will also write scripts and code to help develop new information recovery techniques and threat identification methods.
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Software Engineers specialize in the design, development, integration and deployment of cutting-edge tools, techniques and systems to support cyber operations and other intelligence activities. Working in a collaborative environment, you will use your technical skills, imagination, ingenuity and initiative to produce creative, innovative and elegant solutions to some of the toughest challenges.
TECHNICAL DEVELOPER
Technical Developers use their creative flair by leveraging their cyber and hard science skills to design, develop and implement innovative systems that facilitate core Agency collection and secure messaging functions. Your clever engineering will be instrumental in creating systems that blend into an operating environment. You will analyze requirements, propose solutions, conduct engineering analyses, manage development activities and transition systems to full operation.
TECHNICAL TARGETING ANALYST
Technical Targeting Analysts identify high-priority targets (persons, organizations, electronic devices and computer networks), assess their relevance and vulnerabilities, enable technical and human-based operations and analyze data collections to address outstanding intelligence objectives. You will also use your research, critical thinking and writing skills to inform senior officials and exploit key data.
WHAT ROLE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Explore the online CIA Job Fit Tool and discover the career opportunities that match your exceptional skills and intellectual curiosity. cia.gov/careers/opportunities/job-fit-tool
STILL IN SCHOOL?
The CIA’s student programs are outstanding opportunities for current and future undergraduate and graduate students to contribute their talents to the Agency. We have year-round internship and co-op opportunities as well as scholarship programs available for students with exceptional academic records.
Learn more and apply today: cia.gov/careers/student-opportunities
“You can have multiple careers within the Agency, which is why people rarely leave here. They enjoy a career with breadth and depth.” — CIA Engineer
For additional information and to apply, visit cia.gov/careers
THE WORK OF A NATION. THE CENTER OF INTELLIGENCE. cia.gov/careers
An equal opportunity employer and a drug-free workforce.
Name:Samson Oni
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Avalara Inc.
Position Title:Security Engineer
Major(s)/Minor(s):Information Systems
Current Class Level:Doctoral Student
Work Term:Spring 2021
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I work in the Application Security team. My responsibilities includes the following:
* Rolling out of Dynamic Application Scanning Tool for scanning of applications for vulnerabilities across the company globally.
• Penetration testing of applications
• DAST scanning of web application
• SAST Scanning of application
• CI/CD pipeline integration
• Threat Modeling / Threat Profiling of applications
• Writing of Security standards
• Integrating security tools in CI/CD pipeline
• Secure Architecture review of applications
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I was encouraged to apply for the internship by my Advisor Dr. Zhiyuan Chen. He kept asking me of my process in the internship search. Because of his follow-up, I took the internship search seriously and applied on Indeed and LinkedIn. I saw this opening on LinkedIn last year for a summer internship and part of the requirements were having AWS certification and Security plus certification, which I already have. I applied and was called for an interview. I had three rounds of interviews and was given the internship position last summer. After the summer internship, my manager was pleased with my work and wanted me to stay back. I also wanted to continue my work with them, so I was given a part-time CO-OP opportunity for Fall 2020. At the end of Fall 2020, they tried to have me as a full-time staff, so I was given a full-time offer which I am doing right now with a Co-op for Spring 2021. I will be transiting into OPT this summer while the company will get me an H1b Work Visa.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I have learned so much working in this organization. My research area is in Cyber Security, and I have taken a couple of security courses here at UMBC. I have also had the opportunity to work with the UMBC Cyberdefense club. My research, classes, club meetings came with so much theoretical knowledge, but working in this role allowed me to apply classroom and research knowledge on real-world problems. It has been fun, and I am glad I am doing this. I am working remotely and yet still able to connect fully with my team. I am learning a lot from other members of the group as well. I am passionate about cybersecurity, and I think working here is a dream come through.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I have made a significant impact on the organization through my work. I rolled out a DAST tool across the company globally, and many engineers are using these tools. I have written security standards that their engineers are currently using to develop secure software. My manager personally attested that I have made a significant impact in the organization and mentioned he would like to get more students from UMBC in the future. And finally, I believe bringing me in as a full-time staff shows how impactful my work has been.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
My advice for other students seeking similar experiences will be don’t give up. I almost gave up because of all the numerous rejections I got while applying for an internship. At some point, I thought maybe I wasn’t good enough. I was at the moment thinking of changing my interest from cybersecurity to data science. But I am glad I didn’t give up then. Now, I have an opportunity with an organization that appreciates my work, and I am happy with the impact I am making here. Finally, when you get that internship opportunity, give your all to it. Do it as if you are full-time staff. Ensure you are not just there for the paycheck, make sure you leave your signature behind with your work. These will accelerate your learnings and skills and eventually make room for you in that organization or somewhere else.
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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Monday!
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