“We had 75 companies at the Engineering EXPO today,” said Michelle Strong, associate director for employer relations. “They were looking for students from all seven of our engineering disciplines for internships, co-op and full time positions.”
In the current economy, college students and recent graduates can take all the help they can get to boost their careers. Many engineering students took advantage of the event’s convenient location by checking backpacks at the door of Bell Engineering to network (wrinkle-free) with potential employers in between classes and apply for jobs.
The unique problem-solving skills that students acquire in engineering school are highly attractive to employers, according to Andrew Johnson of Ablemarle.
“I’ve looked at about 50-75 resumes today,” he said. “We look for work experience, solid grades, diverse experiences, enthusiasm and problem-solving skills. Applicants should be ready to do design work for our company.”
Ablemarle attended engineering EXPO to recruit electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering students.
Sarad Panta, a student who works in the athletic department, had more than one purpose for the big event.
“I’m here to land a job, of course,” he said, laughing. “I’m also here to give my communication skills a boost. As an international student, talking to businesses can be kind of hard. I talked to two different companies that I’m hoping to get a callback from tonight.”
Marwan Abu Mahaimed, a master’s student in Micro Electronics and Photonics, has been in higher education for a while and saw the Engineering EXPO as the logical next step.
“I’m working on my second master’s degree. The first one was in mechanical engineering, and now I’m finishing up one in MicroEP,” he said. “I’m here to look for a full-time job.”
Kimberly Marti and Bethany Miller, students at John Brown University, found the event through their advisor. After making the trek from Siloam Springs, the two were seeking full-time jobs in electrical and mechanical engineering.
Entergy representatives Stephanie Lawrence and J.P. Delahoussaye had a lot of interest expressed in their company, half of whose workforce (approximately 7500 people) will be eligible for retirement within the next five years. The main draw of the company is experience in utility: a chance to work in generation, transmission and distribution.
“We’re looking at freshmen too,” Delahoussaye said, “Because they could work for us very soon at a time when we especially want to raise our employment numbers.
“We need new talent, people with different perspectives and backgrounds,” Lawrence said. “People who have grown up on the farm and can work with their hands have had a different experience from those who grew up in the city. We’re looking for people who have (both) the skills and are handy.”
Michael of Roddy & Cross Oil said he met “lots of great candidates today. We’re looking for people who are well-spoken, disciplined, have common sense, a good work ethic and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.”
The College of Engineering sponsors the Engineering EXPO once a semester in the Bell Engineering Center and the employment rate for students remains consistently high.
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