Student Engineers’ Council career expo again draws more than 250 companies, agencies to campus
Thousands of engineering students seeking industry internships and jobs are expected to attend the 2014 Engineering Expo to be held Sept 16 and17 at Squires Student Center.
The expo again will be hosted by the Student Engineers’ Council at Virginia Tech.
The two-day event is expected to draw 250 companies, from well-known international firms such as Rolls Royce, Capital One, and Intel Corp., to smaller businesses, along with numerous federal agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency., and the U.S. Army.
The council, a self-funded student organization with roughly 100 members, expects more than 5,000 students – including undergraduate and graduate students -- to attend the event.
Zach Mayes of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a junior in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is serving as chairman of this year’s expo event. He has benefited from the expo in the past.
“I interned after my freshmen year with Oak Ridge National Laboratory,” he said. “They were in attendance that year and will be this year as well. I’ve also made a great network with recruiters from some of the nation’s most impressive companies. I would advise the freshmen to come and speak with the companies because they could find new experiences that students at other schools won’t have access to.”
The two-day event takes place each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students are invited to walk through the exhibits, many of which include videos, products, promotional items, and demonstrations from the hiring company or agency.
A third-day, Sept. 18, is set aside for one-on-one interviews.
“This year we have a new location for interviews in Cassell Coliseum, instead of Owens Ballroom in order to accommodate the large number of interview booths requested,” said Mayes. “This is exciting for the university because the demand for our engineering talent is outpacing our old layouts.”
A full listing of firms in attendance at this year’s Expo can be found at the council’s website, and includes a search option. Guidebooks will be available for students prior to the expo, each containing employer information such as sought after skills.
“The executive officers of the Student Engineers’ Council, including the current expo chairman Zach Mayes, have once again done an incredible job, attracting more than 250 companies and government agencies to the engineering career fair,” said Lynn Nystrom, director of news and external relations for the Virginia Tech College of Engineering and long-time faculty adviser to the council. “The success of Expo 2014 shows the high esteem recruiters hold for the Virginia Tech engineering degree.”
The annual Engineering Expo is an extension of the council’s mission to promote the personal and professional development of student engineers at Virginia Tech by helping them to define career goals, pursue career opportunities, and develop leadership skills.
