Firms sell, give themselves away to students

Jobs weren't the only thing that were offered yesterday at the Engineering career fair. There was a lot of free stuff, too. The 20th Annual Engineering Career Day was held yesterday, spanning all three floors of the Towne Building. Ranging from Internet start-ups to well-established corporations to government agencies, 119 companies recruited both undergraduate and graduate Engineering School students. And they offered pens, T-shirts and cups with company logos to attract students. "We've managed to assemble a great number of companies that are looking to recruit all Engineering majors, not just Computer Science," said Rosette Pyne, assistant director of Career Services. Sponsored by Career Services and the Engineering Student Activities Council, the career fair also featured companies that offer summer internship opportunities for undergraduates not looking for full-time positions. IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers and and Lucent Technologies were there, along with many other big-name corporations. "We really enjoy having the opportunity to talk to students," said Stuart Goldenberg, a representative for Philadelphia-based eCal Corp. "Even if students aren't looking for a job, venues like this are very helpful to introduce students to what opportunities are in hold for them." For students looking for jobs, the companies also accepted resumes. "Many companies are going to schedule interviews for the many great candidates in the coming weeks based on the resumes they receive," Pyne said. The current job market, according to the company representatives, is looking bright. "It's a great time right now for engineers," said Marc Rosenstock, a 1999 Wharton and Engineering graduate, who represented Procter & Gamble at the fair. "Obviously, computer science is very hot, but that's not all. "For example, at P&G;, we use technology to innovate different aspects of our business, such as marketing," he said. For the most part, the students who attended said they found the fair beneficial. "There was great exposure for all Engineering fields," Engineering junior Gavin Kanan said. "For the freshmen and sophomores who aren't sure of what they want to do, I think that it helped them a lot." Though the fair was, by and large, successful, it required a lot of planning. ESAC members helped very early in the morning to move boxes and set up tables. Calls to companies to inform them of the fair were made during the summer by a student volunteer. To some students, the fair will be a success only if it bears fruit. "I guess the fair in general was helpful," Engineering junior Amanda Wuest said. "However, it wouldn't be helpful for me unless I actually find an internship." A more general career fair will be held today in the University City Sheraton Hotel from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m.