By Ryan Beck – Graduate Assistant
In preparation for the Massachusetts Education Recruiting Consortium (MERC) career fair, the Career Development and Professional Connections Hub will be facilitating the “Perk Up for MERC!” workshop series to educate students to confidently succeed at the fair. Our office highly encourages both undergraduate and graduate students to attend MERC – in 2024, 129 employers attended MERC! There will be three “MERC-shops” available for students to attend:
A comprehensive introduction to MERC, including how to properly scout attending employers, strategic approaches for the day of, and a demonstration of how to apply these preparation techniques.
Your resume is an essential item in your career toolkit. Learn how to refine your resume to ensure that it is of top quality in time for the fair!
You have done your research, devised a strategy, and refined your resume. Now, it is time to nail that initial conversation with a recruiter. How do you do it? Join us to find out! (Pizza will be provided)
In addition, celebrate your preparation with an opportunity to use our brand-new photo booth!
For students who participate in all three workshops and confirm that they will be attending MERC, we will provide a branded resume padfolio that provides:
We look forward to seeing you there!
As the Career Hub graduate assistant, Ryan supports many facets of the Career Development and Professional Connections Hub. An alumnus of the Isenberg School of Management and graduate degree candidate in the College of Education, Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge surrounding career and professional development and a passion for helping others to the team.
By Dr. Elise Carrier
We have already seen many success stories from the class of 2024. Here are a few of our standout stars, each exemplifying excellence, determination, and innovation in their respective fields. Their achievements inspire us and set a high standard for future classes.
Early Intervention Developmental Specialist
Thom Marlboro Area Early Intervention | Marlboro, MA
Career Advice: My advice would be to make connections with people throughout your educational experiences. You never know when one person could write you a recommendation or connect you with someone they know who has job opportunities. Stay professional in your dress, your actions, and your treatment of others. Think about what impact you want to have on the world and where you think you can achieve your goal.
First Grade Teacher
Swift River Elementary School | Belchertown, MA
Career Advice: "My advice to any undergraduate hoping to secure their dream job would be to apply, apply, apply! Even if you feel under-qualified, even if it’s outside of your comfort zone, even if there are a lot of other applicants, just put yourself out there! You’ll never know if you don’t try, and every interview brings you one step closer to where you’re meant to be. Also, trust yourself and your abilities - you’ve worked hard to come this far, and you should feel so proud of yourself! You got this!"
Director of The Center for Education, Policy, and Advocacy
University of Massachusetts Amherst / Amherst, MA
Career Advice: "Your identity outside of your career is equally important and shapes who you are within your profession. Investing time in yourself, cultivating supportive relationships, and building community will help you be successful both professionally and personally."
First Grade Teacher (Inclusion Classroom), Bilingual School
Amigos School / Cambridge, MA
Career Advice: “I highly recommend gaining as much experience as possible, it's never too early for anything when in college! Internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer opportunities in your field of interest provide valuable hands-on experience and will make your resume stand out. They can also offer networking opportunities as well as a chance to understand the industry better. Lastly, please ask career services for any help you might need in the process of job searching, they have been extremely helpful since day one".
Instructional Support teacher, Grades 3-5
J.R. Lowell Elementary School / Watertown, MA
Career Advice: “Use the resources at UMass and gain as much experience as possible. The more experience you have, the more confident you will be entering the career field. With that, don't be too hard on yourself; you are doing much better than you think you are!”
Dr. Elise Carrier is an experienced higher education professional with an unwavering passion for empowering individuals to realize and achieve their professional aspirations. In her role as the Associate Director for Career and Professional Development at The Career Hub, Elise is instrumental in the creation and implementation of a diverse spectrum of career programs.
Writing a diversity statement is an opportunity to showcase your commitment to and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Companies are looking to hire individuals that align with their values. When a company requests a diversity statement, it indicates they are committed to inclusivity and want to better understand how these values align with your professional life.
Paragraph One: Define your values. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you?
Paragraph Two: Demonstrate your competency of DEI. Share a personal DEI story.
Paragraph Three: State your outcomes and the lessons you learned. How has this experience influenced your thinking? Or how has this experience informed your understanding of DEI?
Paragraph Four: Look on the employers’ website and become familiar with their diversity, equity and inclusion mission. Connect your values with the mission of the organization.
Paragraph Five: How have you integrated this enhanced understanding in your work? What is your commitment to furthering DEI initiatives?
Required for undergraduate students who will be away from UMass Amherst for a semester while on internship or co-op in order to maintain their status as a student.
This form is to be used by all undergraduate students, both domestic and international undergraduate students, planning to participate in an Internship or Co-op outside the United States.
Only required for undergraduate students requesting permission to participate in an internship or co-op that have completed fewer than 45 credits or have a GPA under a 2.0.
Attach to your Handshake experience if you are going on an internship or co-op that does not take place at UMass Amherst.
Log to track hours worked each working during an internship or co-op. This is a requirement to be filled out during an internship or co-op experience.