My Purdue IR Experience & Summer Internship Journey

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When I first came to Purdue University, I had heard about the Purdue Industrial Roundtable (IR) online, but I didn't really know what to expect or how impactful it could be.

If you are new to Purdue or just want to know more about IR, here are some things I learned along the way.


What is IR like?

IR is one of the largest student-run career fairs in the country, with hundreds of companies and thousands of students attending. It is located at Memorial Mall and includes two days of in-person networking, followed by a virtual career fair component.

At first, it can feel overwhelming. Lines are long, conversations can seem intimidating, and it’s easy to worry about whether you’re prepared enough- but everyone is in the same position and there for the same reason: to connect, learn, and explore opportunities.


Tips for Incoming Freshmen:

1. Have a Strong Resume Ready

Before IR, make sure that your resume is strong. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience yet, how you present your skills and involvement matters.

I recommend getting feedback by either going to resume workshops offered at Purdue or asking peers to review it. I personally went to the Women in Engineering resume review, where a professional gave me detailed advice that really helped me build my resume!


2. Do Your Research Beforehand

From experience, I feel that knowing more about the company you have an interest in makes a huge difference when you have conversations with them.

I used the Career Fair Plus app to explore different companies, favorite the ones that matched my major interests, and see what positions they were hiring for (internships or co-ops), as well as which class years they were targeting.

Having that information ahead of time helped me feel more confident and made my conversations more meaningful than stressful.


3. Just Go and Experience It

You might hear that companies aren’t actively recruiting freshmen, and while that can be true, it shouldn’t stop you from attending.

IR is just as much about learning as it is about networking and landing an internship. Going my freshmen year helped me feel more comfortable overall by understanding how conversations work, what recruiters look for, and how to present myself. That experience made a huge difference when I returned as a sophomore and ultimately helped me get my internship.


How IR Led to My Internship

At IR this year, I spoke with a few companies that aligned with my interests. I focused on having genuine conversations rather than trying to follow a word for word script.

As a sophomore, I wasn't completely sure what type of role or department would be the best fit for me, but I stayed open-minded and applied to opportunities that seemed interesting. I really focused on putting myself out there rather than limiting myself to what I thought was the perfect fit.

One company that stood out to me was Cretex Medical. After learning more about their work, I was especially drawn to their sense of community. Having that initial conversation with them turned into an opportunity, and I ended up receiving a summer internship offer as a Quality Engineer Intern in their QTS department.

Even though I wasn't initially certain if QTS was exactly what I wanted, I am so excited to learn more and get hands on experience in the field. This experience showed me that IR really does work if you just put yourself out there.


Overall, IR can feel intimidating at first, but it is one of the best opportunities Purdue offers. Go to IR with an open mind and be confident in yourself. You never know where a single conversation might lead.



Grace Fuller, BME

Recruitment Project Committee

 

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