Welcome to the Fall semester! After what was hopefully a relaxing and perhaps even productive summer, we are coming back to campus to take classes and get reconnected with friends and student organizations.

Additionally, you may be hoping to get hired this semester. Due to a variety of reasons, perhaps the only jobs you can apply to are the ones that are on-campus. You may be experiencing challenges trying to locate on-campus employment, asking yourself where can you find these jobs, and how can you land one sooner rather than later?

At the Career Center, we totally understand and are here to help! Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Go to Handshake. Handshake is the one-stop shop for students to find employment. By adjusting the filters in your search parameters to on-campus positions, you’ll be able to find new openings as they are posted and be able to apply as soon as possible. Just remember — not all campus jobs are posted on Handshake, so you may need to go beyond the platform.
2. Build Your Network. Whether you like it or not, your network can help tremendously when it comes to the job market. By knowing students who are working in your desired positions, you may be able to get a solid referral. By connecting with faculty members and expressing interest in their work, you might be invited to join their lab. Find opportunities such as these to get insider information on open positions.
3. Attend Career Events. Events hosted by the Career Center may lead you to a job position that’s a good fit! By becoming active on-campus and showing up to events regularly, you will increase your visibility and may become top of mind for employers when a job opening comes up.
4. Utilize Online Resources. The Career Center’s website is full of helpful resources to give you the tools that you need to find a position. In particular, we have an entire section on our website dedicated to help you find an internship or job. Take advantage of what our website has to offer, and search our pages for the latest information.
5. Get Personalized Support. If you need 1:1 support or guidance through this process, you can schedule an appointment with the Career Center. Our staff are more than happy to help you discover the best path in terms of finding an on-campus job.

We hope that you will use some or all of these tips to find the perfect on-campus job for you. Best of luck with your search!

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: Tuesday, October 1st

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) 

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Retrievers Connect: networking platform just for UMBC students and alumni

Date: Wednesday, August 28
Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: Fourth-floor hallway, ITE Building

Join us to kick off the new academic year at our Welcome Week Reception! Come enjoy pizza, snacks, and a chance to win some UMBC swag. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet new friends, connect with faculty, and get acquainted with the campus.

Special Highlights:

• Lab Tours: Dive into our new projects with guided tours led by our faculty and students. 
• ISSA Chapter at UMBC: Discover how you can join the Information Systems Security Association chapter and get involved in cybersecurity and information security initiatives at UMBC.

This event is an excellent way to network, learn more about our department, and explore the diverse student organizations that are in our UMBC community. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning students!

Welcome to Summer 2024!

Thanks to COVID-19, the job market has shifted in several different ways, one of which is the interviewing process. Although in-person interviews are still occurring, there has been a rise in virtual interviews and video submissions for job seekers. How do you market yourself virtually or on video? Here are some tips to help you ace the virtual interview:

1. Have adequate lighting and appropriate décor/backgrounds. You want to make sure that you are properly seen on screen, so having adequate lighting with minimal glare is important. You also want to have appropriate décor or a blank wall behind you so that there isn’t anything distracting while you’re interviewing.
   
   
2. Place Post-It notes with potential responses around the top of your computer near the camera. Having this setup ensures that you’re looking at interviewers and making good eye contact versus looking down at your notes. Even in virtual interviews, having good eye contact is important and can demonstrate confidence in your responses. 
   
   
3. If you’re submitting a video instead of conducting a live interview, use technology such as Zoom, Streamyard, or iMovie. Using these tools will give you the ability to edit and polish a video submission without needing much video editing experience. You can also record responses in one take and edit the video afterward, which saves you time in the long run.
   
   
4. Conduct a practice call with a friend, mentor, or family member. By being able to practice, you can get feedback on why your responses (or your energy or even your non-verbals) aren’t coming across in the way you’d like on screen. You can also make sure your audio and video settings are correct. If you don’t have someone to practice with, set up a Practice Interview appointment with the Career Center.

Let’s face it — now that more companies have shifted to a remote and/or hybrid model, there may be more competition from candidates outside of your local area than ever before. That’s why it’s even more crucial to find ways to stand out when you’ve scheduled a virtual interview. By using these tips and resources like Big Interview offered by the Career Center, you’ll be even closer to your next job position. 

According to the Oxford Dictionary imposter syndrome is “the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.” 

When you are suffering from imposter syndrome the following signs may occur:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of success
• Burnout
• Perfectionism
• Lack of confidence
• Comparison to others.

All of these signs can be experienced in the workplace. For example, you may procrastinate on a project because you’re suffering from fear of failure. Or, you may spend your days comparing yourself to others in your office, hindering you from making connections with your co-workers. Finally, you may be in a state of perfectionism to show your value, which can result in burnout. Imposter syndrome can cause these scenarios and more, leading to less-than-ideal outcomes.

So how do you overcome it? Try one of these methods:

• Keep track of reminders. Keep a folder in your inbox where you can drop in positive notes (“kudos”) from colleagues and supervisors. Every once in a while, look back at those emails.
• Reframe your thinking. Tell yourself that you’re not the only one who has felt this way. Turn around negative sentiments into more positive ones.
• Practice self-empathy.  Know that you’re not alone, and that you are worthy of the job position you’re in. Give yourself grace and credit for how much you’ve already accomplished.
• Commiserate with others. Find colleagues or mentors who know what it’s like to suffer from imposter syndrome. Perhaps there is even an affinity group you can join. Remember that we all go through it at one point or another!
• Take a broader view. Try to look at your situation from a wider lens. You may get a more realistic picture of how you’re performing vs. zooming in under the microscope.

Need help taking the broader view when it comes to your career? Take the FOCUS 2 Assessment to see how you can best apply your strengths, which can help you avoid imposter syndrome.