For many at the College of Engineering Career Fair, the roles of the recruiter and the student were similar. 

Hundreds of employers came to find suitable employees and hundreds of students came to find suitable employers Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum. Many recruiters are ISU graduates themselves and are familiar with the process.

“We come here to get our name out,” said Beth McLean, a recruiter for R.S. Stover. “We hope that even a few years down the road, they might remember that they saw us and look us up when they’re looking for a job.”

As a PepsiCo recruiter, Brandon Brinkman interviews prospective students. However, he also recalls how he got his internship and job offer from PepsiCo at the 2009 and 2010 College of Engineering career fairs when he was an industrial engineering undergraduate student at Iowa State.

Whether a formal interview complete with elevator speeches or a casual conversation with an on-the-spot offer, employers search for the best and brightest. With a mix of 200 companies, 700 recruiters and 3,000 students, employer-student matches occur frequently.

“I have had five internships, and all but one were a result of the career fair,” said Emily Kuster, senior in material engineering. “I had a few full-time offers, including the one I accepted from Boeing. I met Boeing at the career fair.”

Kuster enjoyed the enhanced education that she received from her internships at Rolls Royce, the century-old luxury car manufacturer, and Alcoa, the world’s leading producer of aluminum. 

The thousands of pairs of creased pants and ironed shirts at the College of Engineering career fair encouraged companies such as Rockwell Collins and John Deere to come back for Iowa State’s engineering students.

“We are so fortunate to have such a great career fair at Iowa State,” Kuster said. “I don’t know why students wouldn’t utilize it.”

The career fair is not just for seniors; freshmen are encouraged to attend as well.

“I came just to get my name out there, you know, maybe at next year’s career fair when I’m looking for an internship, I’ll recognize someone, and that will help me get a start,” said Ryan Walker, freshman in materials engineering.

The colleges of Business, Liberal Arts and Sciences and Human Sciences will continue the spring round of career fairs Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum from noon to 6 p.m. They will be followed by the Design Career Expo on March 1.