Speed networking events, like the CNMS Career Connection Social on March 13, offer a unique opportunity to meet professionals, build connections, and gain career insights — all in a fast-paced format. Whether you’re a networking pro or new to these events, preparation and strategy are key.

Here are some tips to make the most of this valuable event:

1. Share an Impactful Introduction
Prepare a 30-second commercial that highlights your name, major, career interests, and a fun fact or personal touch to make you memorable. Practice your delivery to sound confident and authentic. Talking about personal projects is also fair game.

2. Be Curious and Professional

Treat every interaction as an opportunity to connect with others on a deeper level. Make eye contact, smile, and show genuine interest and enthusiasm for the work professionals are doing. The energy you bring leaves a lasting impression, even if your chat is only a few minutes long.

3. Have Questions Ready

Prepare a few thoughtful questions ahead of time. If you have access to the list of attendees ahead of time, look through the list and come up with more tailored questions. In general, you can inquire about career path, company culture, or advice for students entering the field.

3. Use a Digital Business Card

Leave something with the professionals you connect with by creating a digital business card. This can simply be a QR code that leads to your LinkedIn page or online portfolio, or you can create a free one using sites like Popl.

4. Take Notes and Follow Up

Bring a notebook to jot down names, industries, and key takeaways after each conversation. After the event, send follow-up emails or LinkedIn requests to continue building these relationships. It’s never too soon to build a network when you’re on the job market! Check out the tailored AI prompts in our Career Guide for some additional ideas.

Don’t Miss Out!

The CNMS Career Connection Social is your chance to network with professionals in Natural or Mathematical Sciences and build relationships that could shape your future career. RSVP today to secure your spot!

If your internship helped you get to where you are today, consider paying it forward!

Important Spring Registration Information! Please read carefully.

Fall 2025 Registration - Advising Appointment Information for Current Students:

Recently, all current UMBC students received notification of an "Advising Hold" on their UMBC account. Students must meet with an advisor to have the hold lifted in order to register for Fall courses.

Fall Registration for undergraduate students will run April 1-18. Your specific date will be based on the number of credits you have earned. Students should plan to meet with an advisor a few weeks before their earliest registration time.

You can consult the Registration Appointment Calendar here for your date and time.

Your exact Registration appointment time can be found in the Registration Guide. 

Pre-Majors and all first semester transfer students should schedule an advising appointment with a COEIT advisor. New appointments times will be added on a regular basis.

COEIT pre-majors who started UMBC as freshmen should schedule an appointment here.

First semester transfer students at or any transfer students who have not yet passed their gateway and are attending the Catonsville campus should schedule an appointment here.

First semester students attending the Shady Grove campus should schedule an appointment here.

All Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering students who passed their gateway in the Fall have been assigned a staff advisor and should receive an email from their advisor shortly with details about how to sign up for a group advising appointment.

All post-gateway Chemical Engineering students and anyone who was assigned a faculty advisor in the past should receive advising from the faculty advisor listed in their myUMBC Profile.

More information about advising for students who are full majors can found here.

Faculty advisors may wait until the schedule of classes is posted on March 24th to meet with students.

Information Systems and Business Technology Administration majors (or students intending to change to one of these majors) are advised in the Information Systems Department. Please go here for more information.

If you are changing your major to a major outside the College of Engineering and Information Technology, please contact the respective department of your new major for advising appointment instructions. Please remember to complete a Declaration of Major form for your new major.

Summer 2025 Session

Summer registration has begun. Students do not need to meet with an advisor prior to registering for summer courses unless they have questions or concerns. If you intend to take a course off-campus during the winter, a Verification of Transferability Form is required in advance of taking the course.

New Students Admitted for the Fall Semester:

Newly admitted students for the Spring semester may not register for courses until Winter Orientation. Please sign up for Orientation here.

Questions?

Please contact an advisor for additional information.

Virtual career fairs are a convenient and effective way to connect with potential employers from anywhere. With the GCC Virtual Career Expo coming up on March 5, now is the perfect time to prepare so you can make a strong impression on employers and maximize your job and internship opportunities.

Here’s how to navigate a virtual career fair successfully:

1. Register and Research Companies Beforehand

Before the event, register here and explore the list of participating employers. Review their websites, job postings, and company culture to identify those that align with your career goals. Make a short list of employers you hope to visit at the virtual career fair. This should be done in order of priority to ensure you don’t miss out on your top choices.

2. Optimize Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile

Update your resume with relevant experience and skills, and have a PDF version ready to upload when you register. Also make sure that your LinkedIn profile is optimized and polished—employers may check prior to the fair to see who they’d like to speak to. If you need help with either of these materials, you can schedule a 1:1 appointment with a Career Advisor.

3. Prepare Your Elevator Pitch

Have a 30-second commercial ready that highlights your background, skills, and career interests. Tailor it for different employers and practice delivering it confidently. If you want to practice in a more simulated environment, log into Big Interview and practice your pitch in response to the “Tell Me About Yourself” prompt.

4. Dress Professionally and Set Up Your Space

Even though it’s a virtual fair, dressing in business casual attire helps make a positive impression should you be invited to speak 1:1 with employers, and can even help you get into a more professional mindset. Find a quiet, well-lit space with a neutral background to minimize distractions.

5. Engage Actively and Ask Thoughtful Questions

Should you be invited to chat with an employer, be professional and engaged. Have questions ready beforehand and ask about the company culture, job opportunities, and the hiring process. Express interest in specific roles rather than just saying you’re looking for a job. You can review job postings within the fair that you can reference in these conversations.

6. Follow Up with Employers

After the fair, send thank-you emails or LinkedIn messages to the employers you connected with 1:1. Reiterate your interest in their company and remind them of your conversation by mentioning something specific and memorable that you discussed. Don’t forget to include the specific job posting you’re interested in as well.

Ready to Register?

The GCC Virtual Career Expo is an excellent opportunity to connect with top employers looking to hire graduate students, postdocs, and alumni from the STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences fields. Don’t forget to register today and start preparing for a successful job or internship search!

Name:Gabriel Dennis II

Pronouns:He/Him

Semester of Internship: Summer 2024

Major:B.S Information Systems

Current Class Level:Junior

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

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

Location of the Organization (City, State):National Capital Region, USA

Title of position:Technical Project Manager intern

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

At The Boeing company I am a Technical Project Manager intern. Because of the size of Boeing, it has several departments spanning across multiple sectors. I work within Boeing's defense sector. My team specializes in providing analytical software & capabilities to our nation's various national agencies to support mission critical capabilities. 

I am responsible for vetting and sourcing 3rd party vendors to support my team's various task orders. My day-to-day responsibilities vary, but it usually follows the following tasks; log into the work computer and attend stand-up meetings to update the team on any progress of work completed within the last week. After the stand-up, I look into various vendors/software currently on the market that I believe could boost my team's capabilities. Next I spend time working on project timelines through Microsoft Project, to reflect current updates within the project. 

Since I also serve as the liaison between various vendors and my team, I end up spending sometime within vendor presentations and demos. I also gather all the weekly reports from all engineers apart from our various projects and compile it into one single report to be sent up to corporate and the customer. 

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

I applied to Boeing around the end of March. I found the job listing through LinkedIn 

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

UMBC Career Center, Career Fairs, Networking events (UMBC Connects, Info Sessions, Arts With a Purpose, etc.), Student Organizations/Scholar Groups, Handshake

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

What I have enjoyed the most about working at Boeing as a TPM intern, is the high-level of communication I have had with not only the management side of Boeing but the various customers we support & vendors we work with. 

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

Through my work at Boeing, I have made a tangible impact by streamlining operations, strengthening decision-making, and improving risk management for my company. All of which contribute to Boeing’s success in supporting national security and defense initiatives.

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

My best piece of advice I could give to another student seeking a similar internship is, even if you're not coding daily, understand technical concepts like the software development processes, and data analysis which will you more valuable, and learn how to interpret and communicate technical data, which is beyond crucial for this role.

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

What I enjoyed most about my position was the opportunity to bridge the gap between technical solutions and mission-critical decision-making, directly impacting national security operations. The Career Center played a key role in refining my resume and interview skills, helping me effectively communicate my technical and leadership experiences to land this opportunity.

The New Manhattan Project = Militarized AI

Justin M. Pelletier, Rochester Institute of Technology

12–1pm EST, Friday, February 28, 2025, online