More than 1,200 students and 75 organizations attended the engineering career fair held in the Towne Building yesterday afternoon.
"The turnout was phenomenal. Both students and companies turned out in huge numbers. I talked to almost every employer here, and they were delighted with the students," Director of Career Services Patricia Rose said.
Students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of well-known companies, including Microsoft and General Motors corporations, as well as government organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Many of the representatives from these organizations were Penn alumni.
"It's nice to come visit Penn, to be back to where you have been for a long time," General Motors representative and 2004 Penn alumna Katherine Dykes said. Dykes studied electrical engineering and material sciences at the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
A number of Engineering students who attended the fair greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet with representatives from esteemed companies.
"The fair was great. It's a great place where you can educate yourself on the skills you will need in the market," said Shreyans Chopra, a first-year graduate student in computer science. "You can see which areas are good [to work in]. It's a good way to see companies and meet people."
The fair was a collaborative effort put together by student volunteers from various Engineering clubs and the staff of Career Services.
"We really appreciate the student volunteers that came in the morning, the support of the Engineering school staff and the staff from Career Services," Associate Director of Career Services Rosette Pyne said.
Student coordinator Michael Stein, a Wharton and Engineering junior, worked during the summer in Career Services under Pyne. He played a major role in organizing the fair.
"We sent out mass-information and then followed up with a whole bunch of phone calls and e-mails. We made sure that the companies got everything, and answered any questions they had. After that, Rosette does such a great job setting up everything that it all runs so smoothly," Stein said.
Unfortunately, some of the organizations at the fair were not completely satisfied with the location of their tables.
"I just don't think it's the best environment to have it in the hallway," Credit Suisse representative Tina Lesh said. She noted, however, that the group was provided with enough table space.
While the Credit Suisse table was stationed on the third floor in Towne, Lesh said that "the other universities had their career fairs in the gym or some huge room, which gives enough breathing space ... and enough room for people to walk around. I noticed some of the students that were waiting in line to talk to us were annoyed and just left. So that's a disadvantage for us," she added.
Conversely, other companies enjoyed the setup.
"We're a big fan of the location. Last year, we were at the third floor at the far end of the corner. I think someone made a comment to the organizer, so they helped us by getting a prime location this year," said Capital One analyst David Goldfarb, a College alumnus. Capital One was one of the first few booths from the entrance on the first floor.
Companies used a variety of techniques to attract students to their booths, giving away products ranging from pens to T-shirts. General Motors, on the other hand, attracted students by bringing two cars to campus. A hybrid car and a Chevrolet SSR were parked on Locust Walk.
"The people here are really into vehicles. It's nice to tell students, younger students, of what the job would be like and see their faces light up. It's a lot of fun," Dykes said.
Engineering officials also highlighted the close partnership between SEAS and the different organizations as the key to the success of the fair.
The companies and SEAS have "a fantastic partnership. It works very well. Our interests coincide. They want graduates of this high quality, and we want our students to get good jobs," Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt said.
