Job and internship searching involves many elements. Below are some curated resources to support you as you look for your next great opportunity! 

Job Search Strategies:

Step 1: Before the Search

  • Have a clear understanding of what you want to do (define your career goals, then make SMART goals to track progression)
  • Gather information about the positions of interest, such as what certifications are needed, what education and skill levels are required, etc. Can use Google or ChatGPT as a starting point.

Step 2: During the search

  • Use keywords, skills, and titles to search on numerous job board websites
  • Search on company specific websites (can use Google to find popular companies in the area)
  • Tailor your resume toward job postings by highlighting relevant skills and qualifications
  • Leverage your network to tap into the hidden job market (reach out to classmates, professors, friends, family and conduct informational interviews)
  • Attend networking events including job fairs or industry programs
  • Establish your online professional presence using LinkedIn

Resources:

Using Your Professional Network & LinkedIn

Level-Up Your LinkedIn

How to Write the Headline, About, & Work Experience - This course is designed to teach you how to create your LinkedIn Headline, About, and Work Experience sections. Specifically, you will learn  1) Why are the Headline, About, and Work Experience sections important 2) How keywords can effect your LinkedIn profile experience and engagement and 3) How to write an effective Headline, About, and Work Experience section that accurately reflects your personal brand and career aspirations

The 31 Best LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers - From the Muse

Free Linkedin Career Toolkit - From Job Insiders, a company founded by people who worked leading marketing for LinkedIn’s Education Team.

Networking 101

Designing Your Career: The Networking Reframe (video) - Stanford Life Design Lab

How to Network in College (And Why It Matters) - From The Muse

Best Cold Outreach LinkedIn Messages for Seeking Advice, Jobs, and More - From The Muse

Individual Appointments

Career preparation appointments for Resume Reviews, Cover Letter Reviews, LinkedIn Profile Reviews, Interview Preparation and Mock Interviews are available through the Macklin Center on TimeTap. Please visit the TimeTap link to register, make a profile, and book with a Macklin Center Consultant. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Macklin Center at usg-macklin@umd.edu.

Questions about Job search appointments? Search for open appointments on Career Connector, or email usg-partnerships@umd.edu for information and assistance.

AI and the Job Search Process

Resumes, Cover Letters, and Search Tools

What Companies Mean When They Say “Don’t Use AI in Your Job Applications” - from The Muse

How to Leverage AI for Job Search: 7 Ways to Boost Your Chances of Success -  from The Muse

Introducing Maya: The Muse AI-Powered Career Advice -  simple but powerful AI tool designed by The Muse to provide you with career and personal finance advice backed by experts

Google AI Career Dreamer - A playful way to explore career possibilities with AI

Teal HQ - AI resume builder and job search tracker [NOTE: while many tools are free, some do have subscription fees]

Skillsyncer - helps job seekers improve their resumes by identifying missing skills and keywords by comparing it to a job description. NOTE: Skillsyncer is free for one year when signing up with a ".edu" email

Interviewing

What Is a One-Way Interview—and How to Ace It - from The Muse

Big Interview - Learn and practice your interview skills in the virtual world

Staying Positive and Maintaining Wellness During a Job Search

Visit the Center for Counseling USG

The mission of the Center for Counseling & Well-Being has always involved "fostering learning, growth, wellness and success throughout the campus community."  While it has had this holistic perspective on personal and interpersonal well-being from the start, the CCW has recently broadened its offerings to develop a Recreation & Well-being arm, in addition to its traditional counseling services.  This evolution at the Center includes creating a Relaxation Room and initiating an array of well-being services, all of which are all completely free. These services are available to any student currently enrolled at USG.

Click here for a complete list of services

Click here to request an appointment

Recreation & Well-Being Services

Recreation & Well-Being services include everything current students need to maintain a healthy and fun lifestyle. The fitness center has a variety of resistance equipment, aerobic/cardio classes, strength training, free weights, and cardiovascular & selected fitness equipment. Personal Trainers are available, as well as a workout room, an aerobics/game room, a lounge, and a locker room complete with showers. The lounge offers a relaxing area with a big-screen plasma TV, X-box One, magazines, comfortable sofas, chess/checker tables, ping pong tables, and a foosball table. 

Click here for more information on Recreation & Well-Being at USG

Additional Resources

How to Stay Sane When Waiting to Hear Back About a Job You Really, Really Want - from The Muse

Stress-busting for success: 6 self-care secrets every job seeker needs - from Welcome to the Jungle

10 Ways To Reduce Job Search Anxiety - From Forbes 

Anxiety About Job Search: How to Manage the Stress and Survive Job Hunting - from The Muse

How to Cope With the Stress of Looking for a New Job - from Everyday Health

Assorted Job Boards to Support Searches

Handshake (UMD)

Career Connector (USG)

AgencyList.org - A list of the professional creative agencies listed by city and state

CareerBliss - CareerBliss enables job seekers to choose from over 3.5 million job listings, 4 million salaries and provides over 700,000 company reviews

CareerBuilder - As one of the biggest job sites, career builder enables job seekers search from over 1.6 million jobs and provides forums on legal questions employees should and shouldn’t ask

Career Jet - It combines job listings originating from job boards, and recruitment agency websites into one extensive database

CareerOneStop - Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, CareerOneStop is your source of career exploration, training programs and job opportunities

College Recruiter - College Recruiter is the leading niche job board, ideal for recent grads and currently enrolled students of one-, two-, and four-year colleges and universities and graduate schools to find entry-level jobs and internships

U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics - Articles and insights regarding regional hiring patterns

Dice.com - Opportunities for technology professionals and employers

Federaljobs.Net Resources­­ - Resources that can be used to locate federal job announcements, career and agency information

Glassdoor - Glassdoor simplifies your search, so you can apply for jobs with confidence. Filter millions of jobs and ratings, talk to professionals, and get smart on salary—then apply with ease

Headhunters Directory.com - An online directory of headhunters, recruiters and employment agencies that will help you find the perfect career opportunity

iHire Industries - Reach career-minded professionals in 57 industry-specific communities and experts dedicated to your success.

Indeed.com - This #1 job site is available in more than 50 countries and 28 languages and covers 94% of global GDP. It gives job seekers free access to millions of jobs from thousands of company websites and job boards.

IMDiversity.com - Dedicated to providing career and self-development information to all minorities, specifically African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and women

LinkedIn Job Search - National job board that suggests opportunities based on your profile, preferences, and activity like applies, searches, and saves

Monster.com - Global online employment solution for people seeking jobs and employers looking for great candidates. It provides a full array of job seeking, career management, recruitment and talent management products and services

Nationjob.com - They work closely with local, regional and national employers, community leaders, local business associations & organizations, small business employers, executive and management recruiters, and career resources to connect job seekers their desired careers

PowerToFly - Platform showcasing roles in the tech industry

SummerJobs.com - An on-line job board that provides employers easy access to a wide, targeted audience of summer job seekers. It provides an easy to use, simple forum where summer employers and job seekers can connect with one another

USAJOBS - Free web-based job board that gives federal job seekers access to thousands of job opportunities across hundreds of federal agencies and organizations, allowing agencies to meet their legal obligation

WayUp - Land an internship or entry-level job at cutting-edge startups, Fortune 500 companies, or anything in between

ZipRecruiter.com - Ziprecruiters helps employers can find quality candidates by posting a job to 100+  leading job boards & social networks with one click

Regional Job Search Resources

Montgomery County Government Careers - Montgomery County Government (MCG) employs over 10,000 people in more than 30 departments and agencies dedicated to public service excellence. Launch your career at MCG: a premier place to work

Maryland State Jobs - Listings for job opportunities that provide vital support to Maryland residents, including critical services such as public safety, health care, and education

WorkSource Montgomery - WorkSource Montgomery (WSM) is the county’s fiscal agent responsible for local administration of the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) and coordination of the local workforce development system in Montgomery County. 

Interviewing Resources

Interviewing Essentials

Interviewing Essentials: How to Ace the Interview - USG Macklin Center for Academic & Leadership Success Asynchronous Course

Big Interview - Online Platform

How to Ace Your Interview - This course is designed to teach you about interview strategies and tips for success. Specifically, you will learn  1) The different interview types, set ups, and modalities 2) Tips and techniques to answer common interview questions including general and behavioral based and 3) Interview etiquette and public speaking best practices.

What Is a One-Way Interview—and How to Ace It - from The Muse

Big Interview - Learn and practice your interview skills in the virtual world

Article to Help You Prepare for Your Interview

Vault Sample Interview Questions - Sample general interview questions and how to answer them

30+ Best Tips on How to Prepare for a Job Interview - From The Muse

60+ Most Common Interview Questions and Answers - From The Muse

70 Smart Questions to Ask in an Interview in 2025 -  Great questions to ask your interviewer. From The Muse

10 Steps to Acing the Job Interview - How to answer the most common interview questions and how to ace a phone interview

The Path to Interviewing Success

The STAR Method - from The Muse

Individual Appointments

Career preparation appointments for Resume Reviews, Cover Letter Reviews, LinkedIn Profile Reviews, Interview Preparation and Mock Interviews are available through the Macklin Center on TimeTap. Please visit the TimeTap link to register, make a profile, and book with a Macklin Center Consultant. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Macklin Center at usg-macklin@umd.edu.

Salary Resources

Do you know how much you're worth? Research your field/industry, location and skills to get results on salary ranges.

NACE Salary Calculator

The Bureau of Labor Statistics

Salary.com

How to Ask About Salary When It’s Not Published: During and After the Interview - From The Muse

Glassdoor Company Salaries

Follow Up Emails and Thank You Letter Resources

How to Follow Up After an Interview if You're Still Waiting for Answers - from The Muse

Thank you letters are essential to make a lasting impression with an employer, post-interview.

Monster - Writing a Winning Thank You Letter - Samples included

When to Send a Thank-you Email After an Interview - A guide to different approaches based on the type of interview. From The Muse

Internship-Specific Resources

Internships expand your knowledge base and enhance your professional background. Differentiate your resume from those of your competitors with an internship experience.

Maryland Technology Internship Program (MTIP) - Managed by UMBC but open to all students in Maryland!

USAJOBS Students and Grads - Federal internship and job openings for students and recent graduates

DC Internships - Academic internship programs with government related agencies for those interested in political science, journalism, business, economics, or legal studies. International programs are also available

Idealist - Non-profit internships and volunteer opportunities

Indeed

Internships.com

Simply Hired

Chegg

The Shriver Center - UMBC Students

Affinity-Based Career Resources

Identifying employers with a commitment to equity, belonging, and inclusion can be a key element for many job seekers. We have tailored an online set of resources for USG students, focusing on affinity-based support. It is designed to help students explore networking opportunities, utilize skill translation tools for effective resume building, access comprehensive employment guides, and discover inclusive job board sites. Elevate your career prospects through our Affinity-Based Career Resources.

Resources for International Students

Find out about worldwide employment trends through Going Global

Many international students realize that the level of English that helped you score well on the TOEFL is not enough to get by comfortably in a college or work environment. Get tips on improving conversational English skills from U.S. News & World Report. Don’t forget to highlight your native language proficiency on your resume though! Speaking two languages is highly sought after in the workforce.

InternationalStudent.com – The leading online resource for international students around the world. Information for international students studying or looking to study in the US, UK or Australia as well as a dedicated study abroad center for US students who want to travel abroad. Everything from international student loans to calling cards are covered on this site.

USG's Center for Student Engagement & Financial Resources: International Student Resources and Immigration Resources

optnation.com: Best OPT Jobs Portal for F1 International Students in USA

For Job and Internship search support, contact:
usg-partnerships@umd.edu

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