Full-time job positions, internships and networking opportunities for Iowa State College of Engineering students can be found at the Fall 2019 Engineering Career Fairs.

The fairs are scheduled for 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Tuesday. The first career fair will be in the Scheman building and second fair will be in Scheman building and Hilton Coliseum.

Mayra Ramirez, program assistant for Engineering Career Services, said they are expecting 4,000 to 7,000 students to attend the career fairs. Ramirez also said there will be about 540 employers between the two fairs — about 184 at the first and about 378 at the second.

“Each of the career fairs are followed by mass interview days where we host over a hundred employers,” Ramirez said.

Students schedule interview times with the employers at the career fairs and the interviews will begin in the days following the fairs. The first career fair’s mass interview day will be in the Scheman building and the second will be at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

“I generally prepare for career fairs by spending some time on CyHire,” said Scott Beard, a senior in electrical engineering. “[…] As I go through the list of companies, I try to narrow it down to 10 to 15 based off of my interests so I can make it to most of them in the time I have.”

Beard also said he attends informational sessions companies will have on campus as well as visit booths of his past employers at the career fairs.

Beard had an internship with Garmin over the summer, and this year he plans to check out medical technology companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and Minnetronix Medical Inc.

“I’ve had two internships in my time at ISU, and both of them have stemmed from career fairs,” Beard said. “The fairs are also a great chance for you to meet companies that you might want to work for after graduating, even if they aren’t hiring interns. If nothing else, companies hand out lots of free stuff with their brand on it.”

Ani Yam, a sophomore in industrial engineering, said she will have a resume and elevator speech prepared. An elevator speech is a speech where students tell the employers who they are, what their major is and what they are looking for in a company they could potentially work for.

Yam said she will also make sure to be well rested and have a positive mindset before talking to potential employers.

The Engineering Career Services website also notes that students are expected to wear professional business attire to the career fairs.

“I also think that dressing my best also makes me feel more confident, so I’m planning on giving myself enough time to get ready so that I’m not rushed,” Yam said.

Yam said she thinks the career fairs are a good way to gain experience networking with employers who recruit people for internships or job offers.

Yam went to all of the engineering career fairs when she was a freshman. She said she isn’t focused on specific companies this year but does have her eyes set on smaller businesses.

“My main goal is to get experience rather than getting an internship for a big name company,” Yam said. “I’m planning on looking for smaller companies just so I can get my foot in the door.’

Yam said she is excited for the Fall 2019 Engineering Career Fairs, as she has more available time to attend them and speak with more companies.

Ava Depping, a junior in mechanical engineering, said she really wants to get an internship for this summer.

“To prepare for Career Fair I had my resume looked at by career services two to three times,” Depping said. “I search the companies attending and wrote down at least one fact down for each company I’m interested in to include in my elevator speech pertaining to why I want to work for them.”

Depping said she does this for about 10 to 15 companies, and if she has time, she will apply online for available positions the companies have. She also attended career fair preparation events where she practiced her elevator speech.

Depping said she has not acquired jobs or internships from the career fairs yet, but she said she feels she has benefited from attending previous career fairs.

“Now I’m less nervous about attending such a crowded event, speaking with company [representatives] and applying for positions,” Depping said.

The Fall 2019 Engineering Career Fairs can present a variety of advantages to students, whether that is experience in their career field of choice or a chance to build their networking skills.

“If you’re looking to have a job after graduating, career fairs are a no-brainer,” Beard said. “Even if you feel like you’re super underqualified, go talk to that company anyway. If you find a company that you like, keep going back — they will remember you.”

Students interested in attending the career fairs for engineering can register early by going to 3200 Marston Hall between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. with their student ID card to get their required name badge. Registering once will get students into both engineering career fairs.

Early registration is recommended, but students can register the day of the fair on the ground floor of the Scheman Building. The full details of the Fall 2019 Engineering Career Fairs can be found on the Engineering Career Services website.