1. Go to Interstride

Visit student.interstride.com on your computer, or download the Interstride app to access the platform on your phone.

2. Sign up or log in using your school email.

Use your umass.edu email address to register or log-in. Note that register for an account requires an active umass.edu e-mail address. Alumni who wish to continue to use the system must provide a personal email address as well, then switch their primary email address in the system to the person email address.

3. Watch the latest student training to learn how to use Interstride effectively

Go to Resource Hub -> Webinars -> On-Demand Library to watch the latest student training. You'll learn how to navigate the platform, explore career options, and find internships and jobs that match your goals.

After that, you're all set! To get the most out of Interstride, make sure to browse through the help resources to see everything that this powerful tool can do to help you find the right opportunities. And as always, reach out to your career center for one-on-one career counseling.

Step-by-Step Guide for Students

How to Create a Showcase Portfolio

1. Log in to Canvas.
2. Click Portfolio on the global navigation menu.
   • Authorize the PDX tool to access your account (first-time use) in the pop-up menu.
3. Locate the blue Create Portfolio button on the top right side of the page. Choose to create a Showcase Portfolio in the drop-down menu.
4. Enter a portfolio name, add a cover image (optional), and a brief description about the portfolio.
5. Click Add Evidence (evidence = artifacts that support your claims). Two options will appear:
   • Assignment from the course
   • Create new evidence
6. The Create New Evidence box will pop up. Choose what type of evidence you want to upload: project, extracurricular, or personal experience.
7. Give your evidence a title and briefly describe what it is and what it demonstrates.
8. Add tags (Tags = NACE Competencies). Tags help:
   • Highlight skills (what you can do)
   • Connect work to learning outcomes or competencies
   • Show themes or focus areas across your portfolio
   • Make it easier to group related evidence
9. Add a reflection (optional) and upload your files, then click the Create button on the bottom right.
   • Accepted file types: DOC, DOCX, ODT, PAGES, PDF, TXT, XLS, XLSX, XLAM, XLSB, XLSM, XLTM, XLTX, ODS, NUMBERS, PPT, PPTX, POTM, POTX, PPSM, PPSX, JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TTF, MP3, AAC, OGG.
10. Click the blue Publish Portfolio button.
11. There are two ways to share your portfolio:
    • If your portfolio is public, you’ll see a Share URL. Copy and share this link with instructors, peers, or potential employers. For private portfolios, you’ll need to grant access manually.
    • You can also download your portfolio to keep a personal copy.

Pro Tips

• Use consistent formatting (headings, colors, and images) for a professional look.
• Include short reflections explaining what each artifact demonstrates.
• Update your portfolio regularly, especially before graduation or job applications.
• Be selective. Only include your strongest work.

Have you ever considering relocating after graduation? If not, you may want to. The Wall Street Journal just released the top cities where the class of 2025 landed jobs and the list is a little surprising. The list highlights a bunch of great, developing cities you may not have considered.

For these cities to make the list, they must have a strong employer hiring demand spread across many companies. That means lots of positions that are probably not receiving the same volume of applications as a city not on this list; so, less competition for these roles. Many of these cities are also in locations with a very reasonable cost of living, especially when compared to the Greater Boston area.

Early career opportunities are designed for gaining experience to create momentum in your career. Moving to a new city may be scary, but keep in mind, that experience could be "the thing" that sets you up for an amazing next opportunity in your location of choice.

More than 250 students gathered in the Campus Center Auditorium on September 16 for Dell Night, an evening of career exploration, networking, and inspiration hosted by Dell Technologies in partnership with UMass Career Services. The event gave undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to meet with Dell leaders and recruiters, hear from UMass alumni thriving in diverse roles at the company, and learn about internship and full-time opportunities across Dell’s business units.

The evening began with a keynote from Brian Henderson, Senior Director of Primary Storage and ISG Portfolio Messaging, who graduated from the Isenberg School of Management in 1997 with a degree in Marketing. Henderson shared his career journey from the sales help desk to leading a global marketing team, emphasizing the many paths students can explore at Dell, and shared lessons he learned over his career.

“The more you lean in, the more opportunities you’ll discover. Your network will open more doors than your resume,” said Henderson during his opening remarks.

Alumni Panel Highlights Career Pathways

Following the keynote, a panel of four recent alumni shared their experiences transitioning from campus to careers at Dell. The panel featured:

• Sam Kaubris ’24 (Marketing) — Marketing Analyst, Marketing Development Program
• Aidan Rich ’24 (Operations & Information Management) — Senior Analyst, Trade & Automation
• Patrick Bell ’22 (Management) — Advisor, HR Consultant
• Anvita Patel ’22 (Computer Engineering) — Server Engineering

The panel, moderated by Tiffany Appleton, explored topics including work-life balance, the transition from college to professional life, the budding industry of AI, and the collaborative culture at Dell. Students also asked how internship experiences shaped the panelists’ careers.

“It helped being involved as a TA and being a director of analytics for a sports management club’s annual basketball tournament,” shared Aidan Rich ‘24. “That’s where my analytic experience came in and it really transferred over [to Dell].”

When asked about the culture at Dell, the panelists shared their positive experiences.

“They are my family away from my family,” said Patrick Bell ’22, who relocated to Round Rock, Texas after graduation. “Everyone is so amazing, and they always want to help you,” added Anvita Patel ’22.

Networking with Business Units

After the panel, students joined breakout conversations with representatives from eight Dell business units, including Presales, ISG Engineering, Global Operations Supply Chain, Finance, Dell Technologies Services, Global Marketing, Human Resources, and the Develop with Dell program.

Throughout the evening, Dell recruiters encouraged students to apply for internships and full-time opportunities, highlighting the company’s global reach, emphasis on professional development, and multi-year rotational programs. Students were reminded to approach the event as a professional networking opportunity, dressing in business casual attire to make a strong first impression.

Dell’s Growing Impact at UMass

Dell Technologies continues to be one of University of Massachusetts Amherst’s most sought-after employers. In the 2024–2025 academic year, Dell was the most-applied-to company by UMass students and ranked among the top ten employers of UMass graduates. During this same span of time, Dell’s recruiting activities resulted in 48 offers to UMass Amherst students.

UMass Amherst students can engage in more employer events this fall, including Big Y Night on October 8, Inside SharkNinja on October 15, and the many career fairs being hosted on-campus. More information about these and all other events can be found on Handshake.

The Amherst Area Internship Fair returned to the Campus Center Auditorium on Friday, September 5, bringing together more than 40 local businesses, non-profits, and campus departments offering part-time jobs, internships, and work-study opportunities. Now in its fifth year, the fair has grown steadily—from 17 employers in its first year to more than 40 this fall—reflecting the strong demand for meaningful student work experiences in the Pioneer Valley.

Co-hosted by the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the UMass Arts Extension Service, the fair featured organizations such as the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Big Y Foods, Amherst Cinema, and Amherst Innovative Living, as well as campus partners including Alumni Relations and the Mount Ida Campus.

Students praised the fair for its approachable environment. One attendee shared, “I liked having the opportunity to talk to people representing local internships in a setting that was not overtly formal. I think the atmosphere and friendly staff made the event a lot less stressful.” Feedback like this reflects a larger trend—1,160 students attended this year’s fair, marking the third consecutive year with attendance over 1,000. Employers echoed the enthusiasm, noting how engaged students were and how smoothly the event was organized.

The Amherst Area Internship Fair is one of more than 20 career fairs and recruiting events hosted annually by UMass Amherst. As the first fair of the year, it kicks off the fall recruiting season. Students can look forward to more opportunities in the coming weeks, including the Engineering Career Fair, the Isenberg School of Management Career Day, the Tech Jobs & Internships Fair, and the Life Sciences & Biotech Fair. Students can find a complete list of upcoming fairs and events is available on Handshake.

More than 375 students gathered in Goodell Hall on September 10 for Fidelity Day: Meet the Fidelity Team, an employer highlight event hosted by the UMass Amherst Career Development and Professional Connections Hub in collaboration with Fidelity Investments.

Ten Fidelity representatives, including UMass alumni, spoke with students about internship and full-time career paths in technology, operations, client relations, and corporate finance. Attendees were able to share resumes, join Fidelity’s talent network, and learn more about the company’s recruiting timeline for the 2026 Summer Internship Program.

The strong student turnout reflects Fidelity's consistent role as one of UMass Amherst's top hiring organizations. In 2024, Fidelity hired over 40 UMass undergraduates across five colleges - making it the third-largest employer of UMass students that year. The company has ranked in the top ten UMass undergraduate employers every year since 2020.

“Coming to UMass was an amazing experience. I’m an alum, so it really meant a lot to me to come here and pay it forward to the students here,” said Justin Yin ’20, Senior Financial Analyst at Fidelity. “There is a lot of talent here.”

Students said having an employer come to campus made it easier to connect.

“It’s a great way to get your foot in the door early on,” said Shruthi Kotha, a first-year Operations and Information Management major. Divya Sivaram, a Finance major in the Isenberg School of Management, added that it was great to share experiences with the associates at Fidelity.

Fidelity Day is one of many events hosted by the Career Development and Professional Connections Hub to connect students with employers. Upcoming events include Dell Technologies Night on September 16, Big Y Night on October 8, and Inside SharkNinja on October 15.

UMass students can find more information and register for upcoming events on Handshake.

By Joe Van Allen

This fall, Career Services at UMass is bringing you events across all colleges. This is a high-level overview of events, last updated as of September 1, 2025 - for a complete list of events, use the links below to access the hundreds of virtual and in-person events available to UMass students.

When developing your resume, choose powerful, precise words that highlight your skills and accomplishments. This resource organizes action verbs by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies. These categories were developed by surveying employers and identifying their most sought after traits in potential candidates.

Pulling from this list of verbs will enable you to connect your experiences to the skills employers value most—whether that’s teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, or communication. Bring your achievements to life and clearly show the impact you can make.

Career and Self-Development

Communication

Critical Thinking

Equity and Inclusion

Leadership

Professionalism

Teamwork

Technology

The UMass Professional Wardrobe Closet Open for the Fall 2026 on September 21

The UMass Professional Wardrobe Closet will be open for the Spring semester on September 21st. ALL UMass students can visit the closet to browse our collection of new and gently used items, all free of charge!

The Professional Wardrobe Closet is currently managed by members of the Isenberg Office of Access, Collaboration and Engagement for Success (ACES). Originally located in the Isenberg Office of Career Success, the Professional Wardrobe Closet is now located on the 4th Floor of Goodell Hall. UMass students from all majors, schools, and colleges can make an appointment and prepare themselves for career fairs, networking events, internships, interviews, and graduation.

Hours of Operation: Fall 2026

September 21, 2026 – December 10, 2026

What to Expect:

• Prior to your appointment, you can browse the current inventory to see what items may be available.

• During an appointment, you can expect to have support from trained student staff while searching for and trying on items in a safe, clean, and private space.

• Students can select one item in each clothing category from the UMass Professional Wardrobe Closet that is yours to keep—at no cost!

• All appointments, including the last appointment time, will conclude by the designated closing time.

The UMass Professional Wardrobe Closet cannot guarantee the availability of all sizes and types of items. Inventory is dependent on donations. Members of ACES try to keep the site as up-to-date as possible, but there may be some differences in item availability between the online site and your visit to the closet.

Making a good impression and feeling confident as you navigate your professional journey is one of the most important things you can do to stand out! Dressing for success can make a huge difference and the UMass Professional Wardrobe Closet can help you look and feel your best.