September 25, 2024 - Jobs Guide

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The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

THE DIAMONDBACK Jobs Guide

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6 where to find jobs

4 off-campus jobs

How students found their internships 7 Resume workshop

5 poll: Where students work

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore pauses during a speech given at the launch of the Maryland Climate Corps program and the second year of his Service Year Option program and Maryland Corps on Sept. 11, 2024. (Giuseppe LoPiccolo/The Diamondback)
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How Students found their Summer 2024 internships

For many University of Maryland students, the fall semester means reuniting with friends and settling back into the rhythm of classes, homework and studying. However, the season can also come with an age-old college calamity: the search for a summer internship.

To make the annual chore a little less daunting, we sent out a survey asking university students how they found their internships this past summer and what advice they would impart onto hopeful applicants.

The most common answer we got was simple.

“Network, network, network,” senior computer science and information science major, Moughil Nandakumar, said. “Having fundamentals in your industry is important, but being able to apply and show that you are intrigued by the concepts and committed to learning over your career is much more important.”

Nandakumar spent the summer as a cybersecurity operations intern for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory. Similarly, networking helped Mayank Barnwal, a junior economics and finance major, score a position as an investment banking summer analyst at Equirus, a wealth man-

agement platform in Mumbai, India.

If you’re not in a networking-heavy field, fear not. It isn’t always about who you know. Evren Yucekus-Kissane, a junior computer science major, advised students to be prepared and stay ready for whatever may come their way.

“Some of the greatest things I’ve done were the result of unexpected opportunities people showed me or gave me,” Yucekus-Kissane, who worked as a lead intern for Australian biotech firm CSL, said.

“If I wasn’t ready for them, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue them,”

Unfortunately, most internships don’t directly seek out the intern. If you’re one of the many students pouring over LinkedIn postings and department email blasts, Hannah Hanson recommends applying early and tailoring your resume for each individual application. The junior geographical sciences major found her summer position as a GIS intern at a Texas public works department through one of those LinkedIn posts.

“Focus during your interview on the skills you

bring from your classes/previous experience that the company is looking for in a candidate,” Hanson said. “Research the company to find projects that interest you/learn about their values and implement those in your application.”

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, remote internships have been on the rise. If you’re not located too far from the internship site, Ademide Faleti, a senior government and politics major, recommends showing up for events as much as you can. During his summer at the National Endowment for the Humanities, Faleti volunteered to attend in-person events such as National History Day, calling it, “a great way to make the most of the opportunity and build professional connections.”

No matter your major, the university offers a variety of programs to assist in the internship application process. The University Career Center provides resume and cover letter guidance, mock interviews and internship databases that can help you find your footing and enter application season with confidence. Students network at the Spring Career & Internship Fair in 2017, held at Stamp Student Union. (Tom Hausman/The Diamondback)

Off-Campus Jobs

The University of Maryland has a variety of on-campus student jobs to choose from. But high competition can make it challenging for some students to secure a position. If you’re looking to earn some money but can’t land an on-campus job, finding employment off campus might be your best bet. Here are some of the most popular options.

Restaurants

Positions at the many restaurants, bars and eateries in the area often accommodate flexible, student-friendly schedules. If you have excellent customer service skills — and a lot of patience — this type of job is a great fit for you. Some locations include the Board and Brew, Vigilante Coffee, Looney’s Pub, College Park Diner and Chipotle.

Other work opportunities are also available in neighboring towns for commuter students, such as Denizens Brewing Co. in Riverdale Park, Miller’s Ale House in Hyattsville and Silver Diner in Greenbelt.

Grocery Stores

Being a college town, there are many grocery stores in the area for students to get their food items and essentials.

One such place and a favorite among students at this university is Trader Joe’s. Although I wish I was skilled enough to draw the hand-written signs displayed in the aisles, I am not. Luckily, there are other job opportunities at the store — located on Calvert Road across from the Aster apartments — which come with nautical titles such as “crew,” “merchant,” “mate” and “captain.”

Other nearby grocery stores include Lidl and Whole Foods, both located on Route 1. Similar to Trader Joe’s, these stores offer positions as store associates and managers. Whole Foods also has specialized positions for the bakery and butchery.

Uptown Cheapskate

Uptown Cheapskate is also located along Route 1. The thrift store is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, and is currently hiring in all positions. Those interested should email collegepark@ uptowncheapskate.com or apply on their website for consideration.

Even if you’re not looking for employment, Uptown Cheapskate can be a great way to make some quick cash. The store buys clean, gently-used clothing from

customers. Employees will select from your items and make you an offer.

Amazon Hub

Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Amazon Hub has flexible hours, competitive pay and is positioned at a convenient spot on campus. Located on ground level of Terrapin Row, Amazon Hub hires part-time employees and offers shifts ranging anywhere from four to 20 hours per week. New hires who provide proof of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can earn a $100 bonus on their first day, according to Amazon’s jobs website.

IKEA

IKEA is located along Route 1 next to The Village at North College Park shopping center. The Swedish furniture outlet has multiple full-time and part-time positions available in retail sales, carts attending, food services and customer service. Part-time hours range from 12 to 19 hours a week. The application process involves an initial phone screening followed by an in-person interview. Once hired, you can begin onboarding.

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Where students work on campus

It’s no secret that college can be expensive. To offset those costs, many students look toward on-campus jobs at one of the University of Maryland’s hundreds of university-operated buildings or facilities.

In fact, the University Career Center website boasts that the university was the highest reported employer for both internships and full-time positions among the graduating class of 2022.

To find out where students are working on campus today, The Diamondback polled our Instagram followers. 37 percent of respondents answered that they hold jobs on campus – here are a few of those responses.

and Oceanic Science Department

(Greta Easthom / The Diamondback)
(Autumn Hengen/The Diamondback)
(Neelay Sachdeva/The Diamondback)
(DBK Admin)
(Ryan Romano/ The Diamondback)
(Josh Loock/The Diamondback)
(Giuseppe LoPiccolo/The Diamondback)

What employers look for on your resume

Here are some easy, yet effective tips to stand out during your job search

When starting a job search, it’s important to demonstrate your skills and highlight your experience to potential employers. Considering the average employer spends about seven seconds looking at a resume, making a good impression in a short time period is crucial. Many have trouble building a brief yet effective resume, and its specifics can depend on what an employer is looking for as they often skim for keywords, skills or experience. Your resume should ultimately be a marketing tool for you; it shows the employer why you’re right for the job. So, here are some tips to make your resume stand out.

First, it’s important to establish one thing that employers never want to see on your resume: errors. Grammatical errors might be worrisome to future employers and are easily avoidable, so make sure to look over your resume to ensure that it’s error-free. Now, for what employers are actually looking for.

Make sure you have a summary at the top of the page. According to Harvard Business Review, the first 15-20 words are critical because of how quickly employers review resumes.

The summary should display skills relevant to your employers. Later in your resume, you have the chance to expand upon these skills and how you’ve applied them in your past work experience.

Another important step is being concise and selective. While there may be many different accomplishments and skills you’re tempted to add, including all of them could actually be against your best interest. If you need more than one page, that is generally fine, but it’s probably best not to go past two pages.

The experience you list on your resume needs to convince your potential employer to hire you. If you include things that are not going to do that, your employer will have to scan through things that are irrelevant to the hiring process.

Furthermore, make sure you list specific accomplishments when describing previous job experiences and not just tasks you had to perform. Employers will be impressed by problem-solving skills and how you grew within other companies.

Also, make sure the content is simple and readable. A basic font and layout is the best option so a hiring manager can quickly read through what they find relevant.

Asking for a second opinion on your resume is always a good idea, especially since it can be hard to prioritize your own accomplishments and experience while remaining objective. Getting a little bit of help with organization could also be a step toward improvement.

Paying attention to the small details on your resume can truly help you stand out from other applicants and grab the attention of employers.

University of Maryland students attend the First Look Fair on McKeldin Mall on Sept. 6. (Neelay Sachdeva/The Diamondback)

Resume Q&A with the University Career Center

Crafting a resume for a job or internship application can be daunting for students, who often have less experience in their desired field. We asked Erica Ely, assistant director of the University Career Center, for advice. Here are some of her student resume tips.

How should I format my resume?

Ely advised to start with contact information and then list detailed skills specific to the position they’re applying for. She also encouraged students to lead with other relevant experiences, such as internships or prior jobs.

“Your resume is all about real-estate in a way,” Ely said. “You want to really think about what are the most related experiences that you do have.”

The resume should be about one page in length, Ely advised. Students should also consider their formatting, include all relevant details and maintain consistent styling.

What are some hallmarks of a stellar resume?

“I would say things that are easy to read,” Ely said. “[Students should try] to have some good quality bullet points, not necessarily paragraphs, about their experiences.”

These bullet points should start with a strong action word and express what a student has contributed to each position, including any accomplishments, according to Ely.

“Try to target and tailor [your resume] to the position,” Ely said. “Don’t just send out the exact same resume to every single employer.”

How do students appeal the best to their employers?

Some jobs have a hiring system that scans resumes and compares them to the job de-

scription, Ely said. If it seems satisfactory, it moves the applicant to an actual committee. Ely added that students should appeal to both the computer and the hiring manager, which can be done by emphasizing specific skills in prior experiences that are needed for the position in question.

How should different majors adjust their resumes to fit their specific fields?

It depends on what the student is interested in pursuing, Ely said. She recommended that students ask themselves if they’re more interested in the creative side of an industry or if they’re more technical. This helps to figure out which independent projects are most important to highlight.

“It’s really important for students to research what is typical within the field that they’re thinking about pursuing, regardless of major, and try to create and implement a resume based off of that,” Ely said.

Are Greek life positions valuable on a resume?

Greek life positions are “absolutely” valuable on a resume, Ely said. These organizations give back to the community through fundraisers and other charitable events, so involvement is a good experience to highlight to employers, according to Ely.

“Greek life experiences absolutely are valuable, we just gotta pull out the things going beyond just the social experience that you would really want to highlight,” Ely said.

What’s

the most common mistake students make on their resumes?

Ely said many students don’t see value in listing part-time jobs, which show transferable skills to a job or internship.

“[Working] as a server, especially if you’re working part time or going to school full time shows some time management,” Ely said. “Sometimes students will take those experiences off their resume, which is definitely not what we want to do.”

Class projects are also an overlooked resume addition that can show relevant skills to potential employers, according to Ely. Some more technical majors, such as computer science or information science, can make up for a lack of internships or work experience with applicable learning opportunities, Ely said.

What other services does the career center provide?

If undergraduate students want to get their resume reviewed, the career center has dropin hours in the center Monday through Friday, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in-person. It also hosts job fairs, panels and other events.

“We support students with the resume process, the cover letter process, the interviewing process, the cover letter process, the actual applications and finding internships and jobs that are of interest,” Ely said. “We don’t want students just to feel like they have to come to us. We want to come to you all too … and essentially reach the students that wouldn’t have necessarily come to us.”

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