Engineering opportunities come to the University

By Cyndi Loza

University Engineering students will have a chance to show off their resumes to over 200 companies Monday when the Engineering Employment Expo Committee hosts their annual Engineering Employment Expo.

Companies from all over the country will visit the University from Monday until Sept. 14 for the expo. There, they will recruit students for full-time positions, internships and co-ops.

“It’s one of the main events,” said Julie McCartney, senior recruiting coordinator for Engineering Career Services. “I mean, this is where students can be in contact with employers their first time … I think it’s very important for them.”

The Engineering Employment Expo Committee is a student-run committee within the Engineering Council. Elizabeth Zimmermann, senior in Engineering and director of the committee, said after speaking with company representatives, the companies seem really excited to come to campus and speak with students.

“I’m really expecting it to be a good fair for the students and for them to get a lot of jobs out of it,” Zimmermann said.

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Two hundred and forty companies will attend the event this year, an increase from last year’s number. After Sept. 11, Zimmermann said, company attendance and hiring decreased.

“It went down right after that, and it’s been building up the last couple years,” Zimmermann said.

Karuna Khosla, senior in Engineering and treasurer for the Engineering Employment Expo Committee, said she believes the expo benefits students because it helps them interact with future employers. Khosla said it gives students the opportunity to speak with recruiters from companies in which they are interested.

“Instead of becoming just one resume in a pile, they have that opportunity to make an impression,” Khosla said.

The Engineering Employment Expo Committee, Khosla said, always strives to have more companies attend the Expo every year. They solicit to the top 500 companies as well as newer and smaller companies to attract a variety for the expo.

Khosla also explained how the University is a target school for companies because it is one of the top engineering schools nationwide and in Illinois. Most companies, she said, have a list of target schools anywhere from 15 to 20 they actively try to recruit from.

“Companies are always looking to see quality students, and U of I undoubtedly has that,” Khosla said.

The Engineering Employment Expo will be held in Illini Union rooms A, B, C and 314 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Expo is open to all University students and alumni.

“Everybody’s welcome to come and try their luck,” Khosla said.