November Career Readiness: Designing A Path

On November 7 and 8, the Maryland Made program hosted Career Readiness programs titled “Branding and Storytelling” and “Designing & Navigating Your Path.”

The goal of the program was for Terrapin student-athletes to start thinking about their brand, how they connect with people and tell their stories. The second session was to assist them with thinking about their path and create the vital tools and tangible items that will help them navigate their career post-Maryland. 

The sessions, organized by Maryland Made Program Director of Student-Athlete Career Development, Daeze Alaeze, and Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development Sydney Anderson, was led by guest speakers, Brianna DuBose and former track and field student-athlete and co-founder of “LinkedIn or LeftOut,” Maxwell Myers. DuBose, an adjunct professor, an author, consultant, and former women’s basketball coach, took the athletes on a journey of self love and positive affirmations to ensure branding and storytelling needs were met in everyday interactions. Myers co-founded the career-building service and holds sessions and workshops for his fellow Maryland student-athletes, organizations and community groups on how to develop impactful resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

Through these particular sessions, DuBose and Myers were able to teach self affirmation, storytelling, the basics of resume and cover letter writing, as well as different tools to enhance LinkedIn profiles. DuBose left the participants with a new tool to utilize when connecting with individuals, the story matrix. Myers on the other hand also set time aside to review and provide feedback on each attendee’s resume and LinkedIn profile. 

“The students understood what it meant to self-affirm themselves in new situations. The value of ‘tooting their own horn’ and selling their story to better market themselves is something that they need to do more,” Alaeze said about the Nov. 7 session.

"The session was about branding and storytelling and how important it is to believe in yourself and that you are meant to be in your position,” Hannah Mack, a junior kinesiology major on the cross country team said.  “I thought it was a super helpful meeting because it  made you reflect on your accomplishments and gives me confidence going into future job interviews.”

Terrapins that attended the Nov. 7 and 8 sessions included student-athletes from Women’s Basketball, Gymnastics, Field Hockey, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Men’s Wrestling, Men’s and Women’s Track & Field, Men’s Golf, Volleyball and Football. 

“The students left with a better understanding of how to craft a resume and what to include in a cover letter, but also learned a few new tricks that they can utilize in the future,” Anderson said about the Nov 8 session.

The Maryland Made staff plans and organizes monthly Career Readiness sessions. The subjects of past sessions included Leadership Assessments, Personal Purpose, Identity Building, and Branding & Storytelling.