How to succeed at the NC State Engineering Career Fair
Are you a student seeking a full-time job, co-op or internship? Then the NC State Engineering Career Fair (ECF) is the place to go.
The spring 2018 NC State Engineering Career Fair will be held Wednesday, February 6, 2019, at the McKimmon Center on NC State’s campus.
This bi-annual free event is one of the largest engineering career fairs in the nation, drawing in thousands of participants from NC State and other colleges and universities in North Carolina and across the nation.
With more than 200 registered companies, government agencies and academic units in attendance representing fields in energy, manufacturing, automotive, finance, insurance, software development and other sectors of the economy – the opportunities are limitless.
“The Engineering Career Fair at NC State connects some of the nation’s brightest engineering students with innovative companies and government organizations. There is no better place for employers to meet the leaders who will engineer a better tomorrow,” said Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering.
For students looking to succeed at the career fair, NC State Engineering Ambassador and senior, Manon MacAllister shares some tips.
“Make sure you research companies beforehand. A list of the participating companies can be found on the NC State Engineering Career Fair website, which allows students to see all the companies that are hiring for their particular major,” shared MacAllister. “Make a list of companies that you’re interested in talking to and rank them from ‘most interested’ to ‘somewhat interested,’ and talk to the companies you’re ‘somewhat interested’ in first. This allows you to practice on a few recruiters and work out your nerves.”
Based on her experience, what should all students bring with them?
“An updated resume, pad-folio or folder to hold your copies, business cards if you have them, pen and paper, and make sure you download the new Career Fair Plus app.”
It is important to have a folder with you as backpacks are not allowed in the McKimmon Center.
As an Engineering Career Fair volunteer, MacAllister has learned some interesting bits of information about the event.
“The ECF is mostly student run, so there is a whole team of dedicated individuals that work to put this event on twice a year. There’s a ton of behind-the-scenes work that gets put into hosting the largest career fair on the East Coast, including moving all the recruiters in, setting up all the booths, and training all of the volunteers for the event.”
The last tip for students planning to attend?
Dress for success. Be sure to check out the Wolfpack Styled Professional Clothing Closet operated by the NC State Career Development Center. The clothing closet provides students with the professional clothing needed for events such as the career fair and interviews. To see the most up to date information, visit the Career Development Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NCStateCareerDevelopment.
For directions on how to download the new Career Fair Plus app and information about the NC State Engineering Career Fair, visit: https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/careerfair/.
