EDCP 108C: Career Clarification: Choosing A Major (1 credit)

Students will be able to understand how individual interests, values and abilities relate to choosing a major; identify at least two majors consistent with their interests, values and abilities; develop a support system for major/career decisions; learn effective career decision-making; and have declared a major and/or developed a “Next Steps Career Plan.”

EDCP 108I: Academic Transition into Internships (1 credit)

Students will be able to apply academic theories to the world of work; analyze interest, skills and examine academic and career goals; learn about the unique and important roles of mentors and networking in the workplace; increase awareness regarding the integration of internship experiences and how these experiences influence the student’s life; and learn key competencies and skills required for entry-level job.

EDCP 108J: Job Search Strategies (1 credit)

Students will be able to understand and apply various aspects of the job search process including correspondence, networking, researching organizations, interviewing, follow-up, etc.; learn and understand work skills and behaviors necessary to be successful in the work world; increase awareness of employer needs and expectations; foster awareness of issues of diversity in the workplace; and prepare for the transition from college to the world of work.

— Compiled from www.careercenter.umd.edu/

Money — it’s something all students need and want. But, with the national unemployment rate at 9.4 percent, finding a job could be difficult this semester.

The university has many services for job-seeking students.

The University Career Center is hosting the Internship and Part-Time Job Fair on Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Stamp Student Union.

This fair is designed to promote opportunities on and off the campus. Students interested in attending need their university IDs and résumés. Students should dress professionally.

The center offers other job-finding opportunities, Linda LeNoir, the assistant director of the Career Center wrote in an e-mail.

“We have many organizations posting internships and part-time opportunities with us on a daily basis,” LeNoir said about the Career Center’s job search tool, Careers4Terps.

Careers4Terps, which can be found on the center’s website www.careercenter.umd.edu,is an online service that provides students and alumni with job listings posted by employers seeking students from the university. It is run like other job-search websites, where users create an account, add a profile and upload their résumé. When opportunities arise, students can apply for available jobs.

Students can also schedule a career assistance appointment at the center. During the appointment, staff members can help students with résumés and cover letters, answer questions about interviews and show students to services to complement their specific major.

Other places students can look for new jobs include the Department of Transportation Services and Dining Services. Both offer jobs on the campus.

“With many on-campus jobs, the number of hours is typically only for eight to 12 hours per week, often between classes,” LeNoir said.

And for some students at the university, a job is exactly what they need, both financially and socially.

“[A job] will make you branch out and meet new people while still being able to make money,” freshman Katie Molinski said.

Freshman psychology major Rachel Keegan agreed. 

“Balancing work with school is a useful experience in and of itself,” she said.

But Keegan also said that jobs aren’t for all students.

“I don’t really think freshman should have a job … because getting acclimated to school will be hard enough, specifically first semester,” Keegan said. “Plus, balancing a social life [and] college seems pretty time consuming on its own.” 

“First semester-freshmen do have a period of adjusting to their new way of life, including managing their time as they realize the difference in academic demands between being in high school and being at the [university],” Lenoir added. “Also, becoming involved in campus life, which is a way to acquire skills and experience while building a network, is just as important to freshmen.”

ga@umdbk.com