The biannual NC State Engineering Career Fair attracted thousands of students to the McKimmon Center Wednesday despite new changes that have caused some distress, including restrictions on parking and the presence of backpacks within the fair.
“The shuttling system needs improvement,” said Graham Whitehouse, a freshman studying engineering who attended the fair. “I had to have a friend drop me off because he couldn’t park.”
Along with parking, student backpacks were prohibited from being taken inside the McKimmon Center.
“It’s hard for some students that have class and must go straight to the career fair,” Whitehouse said.
Neelam Modi, a career fair coordinator and junior studying biomedical engineering and economics, said, to combat the loss of parking, the fair worked to strengthen shuttle and bus services to the McKimmon Center.
Nevertheless, students were still somewhat dissatisfied with the efficiency of the shuttle schedule.
“I’m soaking wet because I had to walk to a shuttle stop,” said Zack Miller, a freshman studying engineering.
As far as the backpacks are concerned, the managers of the fair have imposed the new rule in order to keep down clutter in the hallways, which is a safety hazard, and to ensure that students can move freely around the center without dodging backpacks.
“Safety is our main concern,” Modi said.
Aside from the new rules and regulations, the career fair went just as expected. Many students were lined up outside the door prepared with their best elevator speeches, buffed-up resumes and dressed to impress in order to land a job or internship with a potential employer.
“I went over my resume and bought a new suit,” said Staton Michaels, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. “I came here because I am very interested in finding a paid internship this summer.”
The Engineering Career Fair takes place twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, and for years has been drawing thousands of students and hundreds of employers to each fair. More than 200 employers from big-name tech companies such as Facebook, IBM, Lenovo and SAS were present Wednesday.
Many students, like Michaels, know what they want and have come to the career fair fully prepared for the positions they seek. Miller said he went to the fair his sophomore year looking for a co-op.
Many students are less sure about what they hope to find at the career fair.
“I’m just looking for experience,” Whitehouse said. “I’m ready to go out there, talk to companies and make a good impression.”
In giving advice to new freshmen and other students have never attended a career fair, Modi said he encouraged everyone looking for an engineering career to come at least once.
“This career fair is incredibly valuable, and I want to say thank you to the students who come in and take the initiative,” Modi said.
