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CAREER FAIR SETS NEW RECORD
 

The 2006 Engineering Career Fair filled Hilton Coliseum and the Scheman Continuing Education Building to capacity on September 19. “We had a record-setting 307 employers here to recruit,” says David Lantz, AerE/MSE4, who co-chaired the fair with Tyler Rasmussen, ME4. “This is the largest engineering education career fair in the nation,” Rasmussen adds, citing a survey of Web sites for other colleges with comparable degree programs conducted by career services director Larry Hanneman. The sites indicate Purdue had just fewer than 300 employers, Texas A&M 290, Penn State 268, and the University of Illinois 145.

Lantz and Rasmussen attribute Iowa State’s 31% increase over 2005 to the good economy and baby boomers on the verge of retirement. In new efforts this year, Lantz and Rasmussen initiated contacts with a number of Fortune 500 companies to inform them about the fair and offered companies the opportunity to bring in equipment, such as the John Deere tractor seen in front of Hilton, to draw attention to the fair and publicize participation.

Over 4,300 students visited with recruiters about full-time, summer, and co-op employment during the fair. “We had a number of new recruiters comment on how big the fair is and how smoothly everything went,” says Lantz. Some 130 student ambassadors, organized by ambassador coordinator Aaron Seitz, ChE4, along with the E-Week Central Committee and staff from Engineering Career Services, helped ensure the career fair’s success.

This year’s career fair also brought in a record amount of sponsorship funds. Corporate sponsors typically give up to $2,000 to be listed as sponsors at the various E-Week events. “We received $38,000, or $10,000 above what sponsorships normally earn,” says Rasmussen. After expenses are paid, the remaining funds will be given to the College of Engineering for scholarships. Last spring, E-Week presented the College of Engineering a check for $69,000.