Industrial Roundtable Week: The Importance of Networking


For many engineering students, this past week has been a hectic time. We are in the midst of IR, or
Industrial Roundtable, the career fair here at Purdue. IR is aimed at engineering students, although other majors do attend. IR is a great opportunity for students of all ages to attain an internship.

I’m going to describe one of my many IR experiences. The week of IR during my sophomore year, I
attended the Access Alum event in the Armstrong Nook. Access Alum is an amazing opportunity
within WIEP where Purdue Alumni return to campus and want to speak directly with women in engineering. At this specific Access Alum, the woman from Accenture, a technology consulting firm, was collecting resumes (which is extremely common for Access Alum events held during IR week).
Ready for IR!
I talked with her, asked many questions, and gave her my resume. She told me to come by the booth at the fair later that day. Networking with her at the Access Alum event helped me receive an interview and eventually an internship. As a senior, I have interned for Accenture the past two summers, in Chicago and then in Boston.
Networking during IR week is very beneficial. Attend the info sessions, read your emails about company events happening on campus, and talk to as many people as you can. The key is to be confident in who you are, the skills you possess, and what makes you the best candidate. If you embody those elements as you talk with company representatives, you will surely make a good impression.

If you have any questions about networking, the WIEP Access Alum events, or just IR in general, feel free to reach out to us at purdue.welink@gmail.com !

-Abby
WE Link Leadership Team

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