The Spring 2014 Engineering Career Expo provided the some 600 students who attended networking and employment opportunities for both co-op and full-time positions with 125 employers.
“The expo was our largest to date,” said Dr. Vickie Kuntz, director of the Engineering Career Development Center. “It allowed students to meet employer representatives and present themselves to the representatives with the intent of securing positions.”
Companies that sent representatives to attend the career fair Feb. 26 had the opportunity to meet potential co-ops face to face throughout the day, and recruiters said they were impressed by UT students and their attributes.
“They have an understanding of what it takes to work in a challenging environment,” said Will Hogan, staffing specialist for talent acquisition of international transportation company CSX.
Rashadd Humes, human resources recruiter for Marathon Petroleum Co., was overwhelmed by the passion expressed by students. After experiencing plenty of one-on-one interactions, he noted he was impressed by the students’ knowledge base.
“The University of Toledo is very active and hands-on with their students, and they support a lot of technical assignments that they have out there,” he said. “They give their students real-time projects and real assignments, which other schools don’t do.”
Laura Kay, a senior studying chemical engineering who is currently on co-op with Anderson Development Co., said the career expo helped her.
“As a student, my experiences here, in coming through the career fair, and my program and UT, got me to where I am now,” she said.
“This is a very important event,” Kuntz said. “It is a great opportunity for students to learn about these companies, what they do, and where they see themselves when they graduate.”
