Find your future at Engineering Career Fair

Every year the N.C. State College of Engineering has a huge event – an event so large it spans two days. Hundreds of people come to this event, including students from other universities in North Carolina. Scores of companies send representatives. What event could a group of engineers possibly have to generate this much buzz?

The semi-annual Engineering Career Fair, of course. Companies come to N.C. State and some pay more than $600 dollars to recruit students for summer internships and full-time jobs. The event is an overwhelming success, and my hope is that even more students – particularly the younger ones – will attend this year’s fair.

Maybe more people don’t go to the fair because, well, its kind of intimidating. With so many students competing for a career, how could anyone possibly be competitive enough to find a good internship?

I think, however, that students underestimate themselves.

“I don’t really have enough experience‚” is a common lament, but employers are well aware that students don’t have work experience. That said, students who have gotten internships earlier will certainly have an edge over seniors going to the fair for the first time.

Jessica Graham, senior in computer science, had a positive experience.

“I talked to Cisco at the career fair and I had an interview set up for the next day,” Graham said. “I was able to do an internship with them that summer, basically thanks to the career fair.”

Her experiences are not uncommon among attendees.

Even if you don’t get an internship, the exposure to recruiters, knowing what questions you will be asked, and the exercise of rehearsing your answers is invaluable practical experience – an important part of any engineer’s education.

Going to a career fair is actually a really simple thing to do. Prepare your resume and include all of your work experience – even if your only work experience is at the local grocery chain. Get an advisor to edit it. Prepare answers to basic questions like “What is the most challenging project you have worked on?” or “Describe a time you worked on a team.” Shave, shower, brush your teeth and wear decent clothes.

“Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to representatives from different companies,” Graham said. “Talk to a lot of places, even if you’re not sure if you’re interested in working with them. It will help to network with many companies.”

Finally, keep in mind that one of your main objectives is to gain rapport with different companies and recruiters. The goal is to make them aware of your skills and your interest in working for them. In turn, you should be ready to ask recruiters about their companies and determine whether or not they are a good fit for you.

This semester’s fair is Feb. 4 and 5, from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the McKimmon Center. I’ll certainly be there, if for no other reason than to collect company-branded pens, T-shirts and koozies for my friends.