Career Resources & Handouts

Overview

The Engineering Career Services Office provides a variety of services to help students find co-op, internship, and post-graduation positions. Co-op/internship experiences make you more marketable, teach you new skills, enable you to make professional contacts, help finance your education, and give you knowledge to make smart future career decisions. Once you accept a position, don't forget to let us know in the form below or email us at careerengr@umd.edu!

Scroll down to see our guidance on eight areas for career development. To view resources, you must be logged in to Handshake. We recommend viewing this page in Full Screen to see all the resources our office has to offer.

Career Resources & Handouts

To help you begin your search, we've compiled the following topics to help make sure that you are prepared to embark on your job hunt.  Don't be overwhelmed by the amount of information provided; just take it step by step and soon you will be on your way to starting an exciting, new engineering job! 

Get Organized & Develop Your Skills

Professional and career growth center on getting organized and developing your skills. Log in to Handshake to see our resources on resume development, job search tracking, creating SMART goals, finding online courses/certifications, and so much more. Remember, career exploration and planning might feel overwhelming. If, at any time, you need additional support, take advantage of The Counseling Center.

Writing: Resumes, CVs, Cover Letters, and Personal Statements

Written documents are critical for job and grad school applications. It's important to tailor each document you submit and summarize your relevant education, work experience, and skills. Note that in the U.S. a CV (curriculum vitae) is geared towards faculty and research posititions. Find more guidance on resumes, cover letters, and personal statements on Handshake.

Career Exploration & Job Search Strategies

Searching for a job requires time and effort, but if you're willing to persevere, you can significantly increase your chances of getting a great offer.  For information on resources beyond Handshake (such as GoinGlobal [global job search] and Mentra [designed for neurodivergent job seekers]), as well as tips on career fair preparation, take a look at our job search resources on Handshake.

Networking, LinkedIn, & Mentorship

Networking is key to accessing the "hidden job market" which refers to jobs that are not widely published on job boards or elsewhere.  Remember the old adage "it's not what you know, it's who you know." Your connections could help you by alerting you to upcoming vacancies that aren't yet posted publically. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job/internship, especially those in a tech field. You can start with Terrapins Connect, UMD's alumni networking database. We've created guides for you on optimizing your LinkedIn, setting up informational interviews, and much more. Learn more on Handshake.

Interviewing & Following Up

In order to impress the employers at your interview, you must prepare ahead of time! Learn more about interviewing on Handshake. We have many resources for you to learn about how to prepare, what common questions to practice with, and how to write thank you notes. You can complete a mock interview on Big Interview  or schedule one with a career advisor.

Salary Research, Negotiation, & Accepting or Declining Job Offers

Congratulations, you've received an offer of a job or internship! What is a fair salary? How should you approach salary negotiation? Log in to Handshake for advice on all your questions. See our employer policy page (Job Offer Deadlines) for guidance on asking employers for more time to make a decision on an offer and our student policy page for the consequences of reneging.

Graduate School, Professional Licensure, & Transcript Requests

What's next after graduation? Learn more about applying to graduate school or pursuing professional licensure. Need to request a transcript? See instructions in this step by step guide. We break down everything you need to know post-graduation on Handshake.