During these challenging times with navigating physical distance, managing classes exclusively online, and adjusting to new living situations, now might be the time to sharpen your resiliency reserves. 

Resilience is one’s ability to recover from difficulties which is certainly being challenged for most of us. It is thought that resilience can be learned and includes being aware of, and changing how we think about events from initially negative to more positive appraisals. For example, “the pandemic is going to make it impossible for me to find a job, why even try!”  While it is true that it might be more challenging to find a job after graduating, another way to look at this challenge is “While I may not be able to find the exact job I was hoping for, I have skills in being able to work online, and can add a lot to a company. I am going to apply to a wide range of positions!” The first statement might leave you feeling defeated and not wanting to do anything while the second statement validates the difficulties and invites creative action.    

The Counseling Center has a few resources to support your cultivation of resilience:  

• You’ve Got This: Four-Week Resilience Building Webinar - for more information and to register go to myUMBC

• Topic 1: Mindfulness and stress management (5/6, Wed. at 2 p.m.)

• Topic 2: Thought as Thought (5/12, Tues. at 11 a.m.)

• Topic 3: Emotion as Emotion (5/20, Wed. at 2 p.m.)

• Topic 4: Interpersonal Effectiveness (5/27, Wed. at 2 p.m.)

• WellTrack - free app for UMBC students with materials to address depression, anxiety/stress, and public speaking with the very new addition of resilience materials to tackle overwhelming feelings. It includes a new course on resiliency to help you understand your feelings during this time of crisis, and helps teach techniques and perspective to apply when these feelings can seem overwhelming.

Connecting with others is a vital part of the human experience. Healthy social connections can improve one’s ability to cope with stress and improve overall well-being. 

Some other benefits of healthy social connections include: 

• Reduced rates of depression and anxiety

• Better emotional regulation

• Faster recovery times from health impacts

Surprisingly, to reap the benefits of social connection, a person doesn't need to have lots of connections. It is all about the quality of the connections you have. A few healthy and meaningful connections can go a long way. 

In a time of physical distancing, it may seem difficult to maintain social connections and social support. Some of us aren’t seeing our roommates every day, we aren’t passing by friends when walking down Academic Row, or grabbing lunch in The Commons with our fellow organization members, but we are still together. 

To start, connect with people in these four areas of your life:

• Yourself

• Your family/relatives/loved ones

• Your friends

• Your partner (or a different person of your choosing)

To help you maintain connections with others during social distancing, try a few of these options:

• Sending a text

• Calling them on the phone 

• Using an online platform to talk face-to-face (e.g., Google Hangouts; Whatsapp; houseparty)

• Hosting a movie night (e.g., kast, netflixparty)

• Writing a thoughtful email or sending a letter in the mail

• Challenging a friend to a game of Connect 4, or another online game 

• Scheduling a virtual lunch or coffee meet-up

• Checking on your neighbors (if you are able to, pick up items for neighbors who might not be able to go to the store)

• Making new virtual connections (e.g., bumbleBFF, meetup, Huddle)

However you choose to connect during these times of social distancing, make it meaningful!

UMBC is hosting online events to help students stay connected to each other and their favorite departments and organizations. Visit myUMBC to learn about all of the upcoming online events, including events sponsored by

• Campus Life

• Counseling Center

• University Health Services/Health Promotion

• UMBC Recreation

• seb Student Events Board

Picture this: You see a description for a dream job. The title sounds great, the requirements are minimal, and the pay is fantastic. In fact, you can apply quickly via email or through a job board (no cover letter or application required!). Is this too good to be true? Maybe. Maybe not. 

As a Career Center advisor, I’d want to dig a little deeper. Often, scammers will post fraudulent positions on third-party job boards with the hopes of getting applicants. Other times, these scammers will reach out directly to you (usually via email or social media) to invite you to apply or interview for a position. You should ALWAYS do your research, especially if it seems too easy. 

How do I determine if the position/company in question is, in fact, sketchy? Look for the following red flags: 

• A company offers you a position you haven't applied for OR invites you to apply for a position without any previous contact. The latter could be legitimate but requires further investigation–see below.

• The recruiter’s email address does not match the domain of the company website.

• A company is requiring you to put money forward. For example:

• You must provide your credit card, bank account numbers, or other personal financial documentation.

• The position requires an initial investment, such as a payment by wire service or courier.

• You receive an unexpectedly large check (Note: NEVER cash these! These will typically bounce and result in overdraft fees on top of dealing with a scammer having your bank account information.)

• The posting or email outreach includes many spelling and grammatical errors.

• The pay seems way too high for the position’s requirements. The description of the duties may be vague and focus instead on the compensation and benefits.

• You are asked to provide a photo of yourself.

• The employer responds very quickly (within hours of applying). 

• The employer contacts you by phone, but does not provide a number to call them back. 

Ways to proactively avoid job scams:

• Look at the company’s website. Does it have an index that tells you what the site is about; or does it contain information only about the job you are interested in? Scammers often create quick, basic web pages that seem legit at first glance.

• Watch for anonymity. If it is difficult to find an address, actual contact, company name, etc., this is cause to proceed with caution. Fraud postings are illegal, so scammers will try to keep themselves well-hidden.

• Google the employer’s phone number, fax number, address and email address. If it does not appear connected to an actual business organization, this is a red flag. Better Business Bureau, Hoovers, and AT&T’s Anywho can be used to verify organizations.

The Career Center is here to support you. If you encounter a position that you fear may be fraudulent, don’t hesitate to reach out to us (careers@umbc.edu). 

Learn more: 

https://careers.umbc.edu/fraud/ 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2019/06/18/dream-job-or-scam-how-to-know-if-a-job-posting-is-legitimate/#3a917df7477b