The Engineering Career Fair drew 2,800 students and 290 employers to the Hilton Coliseum Tuesday.

Samantha Edwards, a senior in mechanical engineering, has attended the event in the past and mentioned the competition there is between bigger companies.

“There’s so many people that come to these things and it’s like a big competition, especially with mechanical or aerospace, because there’s always the long lines for those specific companies,” Edwards said.

Furthermore, Edwards said a major part of her preparation is researching the companies that are attending.

“I prepare by going through to see what companies are coming to the fair, what internships they have and what they’re specifically looking for,” Edwards said. “That way, when I’m targeting a company, I actually do know what they’re all about, and I can present myself in a better way, so I get a better chance at even getting the internship in the first place.” 

“We typically see hundreds of employers and thousands of students, and the planning starts months, if not years, in advance,” Kate Cossa, assistant director of Engineering Career Services, said.

Cossa said students should attend the fair even if they’re not actively searching for a job or internship.

“If you’ve never seen a career fair before, it can be intimidating, and so experiencing it before you’re actively job searching is always helpful,” Cossa said.

Cossa mentioned that several companies send alumni to the fair which allows for unique networking opportunities for students.

“Sometimes the employers seem scary or intimidating, but they’ve been here, they’ve been a student, they’ve been involved in the same clubs and organizations,” Cossa said. “It’s a really interesting way for students to have that shared experience with an employer.”

Courtney Hubbell, a senior in industrial engineering and a student ambassador at the event, joined the team because of positive experiences she had at career fairs in the past.

“I joined as an ambassador because I had a good experience at the career fair in the fall and last year,” Hubbell said. “My role was to help out at our multiple different events we had leading up to this and then the career fair.”

Like Edwards, Hubbell said her biggest piece of advice is to prepare. 

“First of all, I would say, prepare. I would also say that it is intimidating when you first come in here and you’re walking around,” Hubbell said. “If you do a couple laps, or if you go and talk to one company, randomly, it’ll build your confidence up for the next ones where you want to get a job there.”

The MyState app and CyHire website offer lists of all companies that will be attending the career fairs and information on their opportunities for jobs and internships.

“Look at the companies that you want to go to, because they make it very clear on MyState which companies are looking for what majors,” Hubbell said.

Students can also attend these upcoming career fairs:

• Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair: noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday
• Design Career Fair: Noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 20
• People to People Career Fair: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 26
• Teacher Education Career Fair: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 10