Industrial Roundtable - One of the Largest Student-Run Job Fairs in the Country

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Emma Mann 

Back before I came to Purdue, I remember sitting at my kitchen counter reading an article about which colleges job recruiters prefer to hire from in the Wall Street Journal. In the article, Purdue was ranked highly among recruiters, both for engineering and overall. I wasn’t terribly surprised to read this because I already knew about the wonderful reputation Purdue had, but once coming to Purdue, I saw firsthand Purdue’s reputation among recruiters.

Purdue hosts one of the largest student-run job fairs in the country, Industrial Roundtable (IR). IR is a two-day job fair, boasting almost 300 companies and attracting thousands of Purdue students. IR gives students the opportunity to network with companies of various sizes, in various industries, and from various places. Prior to the job fair days, there is a day of company seminars, which allows students to learn more about the companies before meeting with them at the job fair. This fair allows students the opportunity to search for not only co-ops and internships, but also full-time jobs upon graduation. Just the sheer size of IR shows that job recruiters look highly upon Purdue students.

Although IR is a wonderful opportunity for freshman to network with companies, it can be a somewhat of an overwhelming experience. I remember my freshman year thinking that I had no experience and no one would want to hire me over any older student who was bound to have more experience than me. I came to realize that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t just that I was trying to get a job, but that I also just needed to practice interviewing, write a resume, and learn more about the industry.

I began planning for IR by finding something business-like to wear. I hadn’t come to college with dress pants and a blazer fit for this occasion, but I was fine. I found a pair of black slacks, a nice cardigan, and a pair of heels. Next, I began updating my resume. I visited the Center for Career Opportunities (CCO) to find someone to help me with my resume. The student ambassadors and employees there had tons of helpful advice for not only my resume, but also IR in general. The CCO also offers various counseling sessions, workshops, and events including mock interviews. While I didn’t have the time to make it to any of their events, I still used the tips they gave me to try to make my first IR a success. I also picked up a booklet for IR from the CCO. This booklet lists the companies by major they are looking for. It also includes things like company websites, years they are looking for (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.), and the type of job (Internship, Co-Op, etc.).  I gathered a list of all of the companies hiring freshman in civil engineering for internships and then narrowed down the list based on what the company did (construction, structural, etc.).  I researched each of the companies so when I talked to the recruiters, I knew what the company did and what strengths of mine would mesh well with their company. I then made a plan of the order I would visit the companies, both based on my interest level and their location on Memorial Mall (a huge green space somewhat near the student Union where IR is held). So the day before IR, I had finished it all with a list of ten companies I wanted to visit.

The following day at IR I set out. I was very hesitant walking up to the first company, but since I wasn’t as interested in that particular company, it wasn’t that big of a deal if I messed up or said something awkward. It ended up being fine though and surprisingly they ended up inviting me for an interview. As the day continued, I became more and more comfortable with the process. I ended the day with two interview opportunities, so my first IR ended in success.

IR is a great experience for every student at Purdue from freshman to graduate students. It allows student the opportunity to do everything from practicing their networking skills to finding a job.