Every semester, the College of Engineering and the Engineer’s Council come together to develop an Engineering Career Fair at North Carolina State University, hoping to facilitate the meeting of employers of various companies with potential candidates that could become the future leaders of the nation.
Especially in a time where talks of economic recession abound, this Engineering Career Fair continues to remain a stronghold that helps students bridge any gaps that might separate them from the career of their dreams.
Brian Koehler, the director of international engagement in the College of Engineering, has been leading the organization of this career fair for the past couple of years. He said he is still in amazement at its growth and development.
“It’s remarkable to think that way back in 2005 we thought it was huge, but now it has grown to be enormous and we only see it growing in the future,” Koehler said.
Engineering students are strongly encouraged by many to attend the fair, starting with their E101 lecturers and continuing to every other College of Engineering faculty member. Whether students are in their first year or nearing graduation, there are a plethora of opportunities. There are opportunities available to students in any type of engineering program and sometimes even students who are not in engineering.
Full-time, part-time positions and co-op opportunities are available from the various companies who attend the fair.
According to the College of Engineering and the Engineer’s Council, the Engineering Fair is one of the largest career fairs held in the nation and has only been getting bigger every year since the first fair in 1998. It was originally held once a year and hosted 60 companies and 1,500 students. Now, it has become a massive operation that is hosted every semester for two days, and in this Fall semester of 2011, it is estimated to be hosting 312 companies over the two day period, and in the first day had already seen about 2, 500 students attend.
“The huge success of the Engineering Career Fair at NC State demonstrates the impact our programs are having in preparing the engineering workforce of the 21st century for our state, region, nation, and world,” Dr. Jerome Lavelle , associate dean of academic affairs at the College of Engineering, said.
The companies that attend the fair as recruiters register for a booth that ranges in price anywhere from $700 to $1000; this serves as the primary means of funding for the Career Fair.
“We are delighted to leverage the excellence of our College and the strength of our corporate partnerships to the benefit of stakeholders in this state,” Lavelle said.
Traditionally, all of the colleges and more than 200 majors at N.C . State have been represented at the Engineering Career Fair. Koehler estimates that about 20 percent of those who attend the Career Fair are not students of the University.
“Opportunities for employment, information on experiential leaning assignments, and general career data gathering abound for students at all levels who attend,” Lavelle said.
The current career fair ends today at 4 p.m . The spring semester Engineering Career Fair will be held on February 2nd, 2012. Koehler shared a few final thoughts of advice to students attending the fair.
“Differentiate yourself, from the 1100 students at State, 70,000 nationwide and half a million college graduates worldwide -whether it be in terms of attending the Engineering Career Fair, participating in Undergraduate research programs, Study Abroad programs, or anything else that will help set you apart,” Koehler said.
