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Career Readiness

Letters and Sciences (LTSC) promotes a comprehensive advising environment that is designed to empower students to make decisions about their educational path, by engaging them in academic planning and exploration activities that affirm their choice of major and career. One way we do this is by integrating career readiness into all aspects of advising.

"Career Ready" means students:

  • Know how their interests, values and skills relate to a career
  • Understand fundamental career decision making processes
  • Make use of career exploration and job search resources
  • Can articulate their ability to contribute in a work setting
  • Skillfully create a resume and cover letter
  • Confidently engage professionals and alumni in their areas of interest
  • Proactively pursue their career goals

Use the resources below to get Career Ready!

The University Career Center & The President's Promise is a vital, central resource to help explore and discover major and career options.

Especially recommended for LTSC students:

  • Evaluate how your interests, values, personality and skills align to majors, occupations, and career paths by completing the FOCUS 2 assessment.
  • Consult Industry Insight guides which offer information on industry trends and hiring timelines, as well as specific tips on resumes and interviewing.
  • Find UMD alums and other professionals to talk with about their careers through Terrapins Connect and LinkedIn
  • Research career fields using the Occupational Outlook Handbook (by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) which contains career information on duties, education and training requirements, pay and outlook for hundreds of occupations; or O*Net Online (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor)  where you can search for specific job titles, search based on careers that have a bright outlook (lots of future job openings!), or search jobs that match a certain skill set you want to use in the workforce.

The University Career Center & The President's Promise is a vital, central resource to help explore and discover major and career options.

Especially recommended for LTSC students:

Learn more about careers by conducting informational interviews. Interviewing people can give you a more specific, personalized experience, and can help you “get a feel” for whether or not you would like a particular work environment.

Articulate your skills, abilities, and experiences by creating a resume.

Distinguish your unique qualifications by writing a personalized cover letter.

Build a set of relationships that will support your throughout your career through professional networking.

In addition to major/career exploration courses offered by LTSC (UNIV107, UNIV108), students can also register for courses that address different aspects of career development, internship or job search preparation.

  • BSOS288A - Neurodiversity in the Workplace
  • COMM488I - Strategic Interviewing for the Career You Want
  • EDCP108I - Academic Transitions to Internships
  • PSCY123 - The Psychology of Getting Hired

The University Career Center & The President's Promise is a vital, central resource to help explore and discover major and career options.

Especially recommended for LTSC students:

  • Intern for a Day is a one-day job shadow program for you to connect with alumni and other professionals in a field you’re thinking about pursuing. The purpose of this program is to provide students with valuable career exposure needed to help you make an informed decision on your next steps professionally.
  • Career Shuttles are group site visits to employers in the greater Washington DC area.  A chartered UMD bus takes students to companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, studios, and other places of employment typically not represented in on-campus career fairs.  Visits include site tours, conversations with alumni working in the organization, and in-depth information about internship or entry-level hiring.
  • Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research promotes and facilitates on- and off-campus research experience for undergraduates.
  • University Career Center's Careers4Terps (C4T) list of Internships and Jobs. To review all positions, log into your Careers4Terps account.
  • Student Employment - Being employed during the academic year or over summer or winter breaks is a great way to earn extra money, build a professional network, and gain valuable job experience that can transfer into your desired career goals. 

Additional Resources

Additional career readiness resources from specific departments and/or colleges are often available to students after they declare a degree-granting major.

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