September is an exciting time in Aggieland. Classes are back in session, football season is gearing up and the weather is starting to cool. Amidst all the fall buzz is another important event to a large population of Aggies: the Engineering Career Fair at Reed Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday.
With nearly 350 companies attending, this year’s career fair is the largest ever held at Texas A&M. It is a true testament to the quality of the University that despite all the economic uncertainty and doubt in the job market, ever-growing numbers of employers remain committed to hiring Aggies.
Planned, implemented and staffed by members of Student Engineers’ Council, the Engineering Career Fair, which opens at 9 a.m. each morning and closes at 4 p.m., is a service for the students, by the students. As such, we try our hardest to ensure that you have the best experience possible at our fair.
Facing an unprecedented number of companies seeking interns, co-ops, and full-time hires can be a daunting experience, so we have prepared a number of features to guide you in making the most of your time at the career fair.
Firstly, preparing to meet with such a huge number of companies is difficult. With that in mind, we’ve built our student search engine to offer a simple-to-use, interactive listing of all the companies attending the fair, complete with days attending and booth locations. Sort-able by major, positions seeking and any number of keywords, many find the search engine to be the single most useful tool in planning for the career fair. To use the search engine, visit sec.tamu.edu/students and click on the “Company Search” link.
Further, as the walk across campus to Reed Arena in your business casual attire is both time consuming and exhausting, we have partnered with Transportation Services to provide a shuttle service running continuously from the east side of Zachary to the front doors of Reed Arena.
Also, consider visiting the Career Center, located on the second floor of Koldus, to have your résumé reviewed prior to the fair.
Regardless of whether you are a freshman just learning your way around the University, or a senior actively seeking full employment, the Engineering Career Fair holds something for everyone.
To those who are not entirely interested in pursuing an internship or co-op at the moment, I encourage you to take a few hours each day to explore the fair. Talk to companies who are doing interesting work and learn more about career opportunities in your discipline. You never know how a short conversation might impact the future of your career.
To those seeking employment, either temporary or permanent, know that all of these companies are here for one reason: you. In my daily communication with these hundreds of firms, the same comment keeps coming up. These companies make it a top priority to hire Aggies because Texas A&M continually produces their best employees. We have a reputation for being one of the best universities in the nation, which gives all of us a unique advantage in the job market.
So update your résumé, polish your dress shoes, research your dream job and set aside some time in your schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday to stop by Reed Arena and meet with representatives of companies from all over the nation.
All of us at Student Engineers’ Council have been working hard all summer to make this career fair a reality, and we are all excited to be able to bring this service to you, the students.
See you at the fair!
Ryan Haughey is a junior aerospace engineering major and vice president of development division for Student Engineers’ Council.