Name: Valeriya Nakshun

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: The Rosen Group

Major(s)/Minor(s): Media and Communication Studies

Expected Graduation Year: June 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I had my internship over the summer at the Rosen Group, which is a company that produces the "American Made Show," a wholesale art/trade show. I was hired at the beginning of the fall to work part-time as an Exhibits Coordinator. My day-to-day responsibilities include printing exhibitor applications, looking through their works of art whether it be ceramics, jewelry, fiber, glass, or 2-dimensional art. I put everything together, carefully reviewing the applications to make sure they really are American-made, and prep the applications for final review. I'm half of a two-person team in the Exhibitor Services department, which handles all exhibitor-related issues including payments, answering questions, assigning booths, and mailing out contracts among other things.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I actually found it on my own via the internships.com website. I received a positive response on my resume from the owner of the company so she sent me an email with her phone number to contact her. I did and we set up the interview and I was hired on the spot.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

On my own online.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I love the fact that I work with artists. It keeps me sane. I look at art every single day when looking through applications, and at the end of the day, I know that the company I work for helps artists sell their work and display it to a much larger audience. My minor is Art History and Museum Studies, and I plan to go to grad school later on for Curatorial or Museum Studies, so this experience will open up a lot of doors in the art world for me.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

Not only do I get to work with artists, but I work with artists all around the United States and Canada. It's great exposure. Another thing I gained is experience with different marketing and database software. We utilize a lot of different websites and software where I work. I work with software called InfusionSoft, a website called A2Z, and an application called FileMaker Pro. It's really great that I have experience working with all these technologies in one area, so it makes me a lot more employable in the future.

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

I would say to look everywhere. Use UMBCWorks but also look online. Google art organizations and see which ones are looking for interns, volunteers, or employees. If you have a particular place where you want to intern or work, contact the business directly and ask if anything is available. Also, make sure you have at least the general knowledge to do well in the field.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

I like going to work and feeling like my work is valued, and that I'm part of a show that helps artists exhibit their work and make a living.

Below are just a few of the new Internship positions posted to UMBCworks in the past week. Check them out today!

2015 Summer Public Af fairs/Communications Internship(9269400)
United States Department of Labor - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DUTIES INCLUDE:
-Writing/editing press releases, media advisories, news briefs, blogs, Tweets, Facebook posts, and informational blurbs for DOL’s weekly online national newsletter.
-Writing feature stories and photo captions for DOL internal website LaborNet and internal, monthly e-magazine Frances Magazine.

Media and Marketing Intern (9268667)
Maryland New Directions (MND)- Baltimore, Maryland
The Media and Marketing Intern will work with Maryland New Directions (MND) staff to develop creative ways to convey MND’s mission and story to the public, share news and successes to spread awareness and interest in the organization. The Intern’s role is to engage the public and share updates from MND through various media outlets.

Part-Time Marketing Intern (9269311)
IMS, Inc. - Beltsville, Maryland
IMS is looking for a Part-Time Marketing Intern to work in our Calverton, MD office. The Marketing Intern must be a creative and motivated individual who can provide innovative ideas and work independently. Help define and execute a social media strategy. Collaborate with teams to develop communications plans for web page and more!

Graphic Arts Marketing Intern (9269310)
Itaberco - Baltimore, Maryland
Responsibilities:
-Intern will, under supervision, work on design work related to packaging, website, print and other media.
-Marketing intern will also continuously update website and social media networks with new products and news.
-Intern will have to work with Product Development and Sales team in developing new ways to market products.

Social Media Internship (9269372)
Claire's Gourmet - nationwide, United States
ADKO Associates, Inc. is the parent company of Claire’s Gourmet and Challenge4kids. ADKO Associates, Inc. needs a creative and pragmatic intern that is interested in gaining experience in marketing and social media in an enjoyable and professional environment.

Human Resources Intern (9269297)
Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc. - Columbia, Maryland
Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc. seeks a Human Resources Intern to join our team. We’re looking for a talented person who wants to gain valuable work experience in the Human Resources field through Nemetschek Vectorworks’ Internship Program.
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To access these positions, login to your UMBCworks account (via the link in the Jobs & Internships topic in myUMBC) and find details and application instructions as well as hundreds of other job postings! Please note you MUST have an approved resume and be released to apply to internships. To schedule an appointment, access our online system in UMBCworks or call 410-455-2216.

Kate Phelps

Role at the UMBC Career Center: I help technical students find internships and full-time opportunities by helping students with their resume and other professional documents. Additionally, I help oversee the 0 credit PRAC course.

Q: Where have you earned your college degrees?

A: Florida State University (FSU)

Tallahassee, FL

M.S. Higher Education Administration-Student Affairs Concentration

University of Tennessee

Knoxville, TN

B.A. Communication Studies

Q: What program(s) did you study? How did you choose your major?

A: M.S. Higher Education Administration- Student Affairs Concentration
- I worked on campus in the Student Activities Office at UT. I was also involved in many other aspects of campus life. I asked my advisors and mentors how they earned their job, and they helped my find my career path into Student Affairs.

B.A. Communication Studies
- I came to UT as an undecided student. My freshman year, I took a career class to explore different majors. I discovered quickly that I wanted to be in the College of Communication. I spoke with a communication advisor and took a few classes to choose Communication Studies.

Q: Tell me about the job and internship process when you were in college. Were you able to find job/internship positions that were related to your major or your career interests?

A: In undergrad, I was lucky enough to have 3 paid internships for different non profits. I diversified how I applied to these positions as I used friends, Hire-a-Vol (our version of UMBCworks), and just a generic company website positing.

My student worker job in the student activities office along with my campus involvement helped me find a GA in the Career Center in grad school.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A: You only have one chance to make a first impression. Use that time well.

Q: Why should students visit the Career Center?

A: Students should not wait until they are a senior to come to the Career Center and get their resume reviewed and attend our events.

We want them to come early in their career and start working toward their professional presence to find internships and jobs!

Q: What is your favorite aspect about UMBC?

A: Students are excited to try new things and approach a problem with a new set of eyes.

Q: What is one item on your bucket list?

A: Visit all 50 states. I love to travel!

Q: What is one aspect of the DC/Baltimore area that you often explore?

A: I live right in the middle of downtown Baltimore. I love finding a new restaurant, exploring a festival, or just taking in the different events Baltimore brings in throughout the year.

Want to connect with Kate or any of our great Career Center team? Call our office at 410-455-2216 or check out our contact us page here: http://careers.umbc.edu/aboutus/

Caroline Bodnar

Role at the UMBC Career Center: I help people figure out "what they want to be when they grow up" and what steps they need to take to get there.

Q: Where have you earned your college degrees?

A: Undergrad = University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. Wahoowa! Grad= Towson University in Towson, MD.

Q: What program(s) did you study? How did you choose your major?

A: B.A. in Psychology. I started out a Biology major on the pre-med track but decided that I wanted to help people without having to take all those advanced science and math courses. I basically took every Psych course the school offered because I loved the subject that much!

M.A. in Counseling Psychology

Q: Tell me about the job and internship process when you were in college. Were you able to find job/internship positions that were related to your major or your career interests?

A: I interviewed for a work-study on-campus job as a fiscal tech assistant in UVA's biomedical engineering department on my first day of class and was offered the job on the spot. I kept that job for all 4 years including summers because they gave me a raise every year. Internships were not really emphasized so I did not have any. However, I was a research assistant in a cognitive Psych lab for academic credit for 4 semesters.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Q: Why should students visit the Career Center?

A: Students and alumni should visit because you don't have to do everything on your own. I never went to my college career center mistakenly thinking they could not help me. As a first generation college student, I didn't have anyone else to point me in the right direction so it would have made things infinitely easier if I had used the resources my school offered. Plus, we are fun and friendly people so students should not be intimidated to check us out.

Q: What is your favorite aspect about UMBC?

A: This is the fifth university I have worked for and while each one has had a unique culture and personality, I really like the small feel of UMBC and how supportive everyone is of each other. It is such a pleasure to work with UMBC students because they are so polite, hard-working, and appreciative. Plus, we're a little quirky and I think that's pretty cool.

Q: What is one item on your bucket list?

A: I really want to try sky-diving. I was all set to do it on my 30th birthday and then I discovered that I was pregnant so I decided to hold off for a bit. I also love travel and want to see as much of the world as I can in my lifetime.

Q: What is one aspect of the DC/Baltimore area that you often explore?

A: My husband and I like to visit off-the-beaten path places. One recent interesting find is the Mansion on O Street in DC where you can wonder around themed rooms and find secret passageways. I also love animals so the National Zoo is an old fave that is free!

Want to connect with Caroline or any of our great Career Center team? Call our office at 410-455-2216 or check out our contact us page here: http://careers.umbc.edu/aboutus/

Getting Your Dream Internship