EXPO 2022 and Purdue Career Fair Preparation
One of my favorite aspects about Purdue is the stellar preparation for obtaining internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs as well as the many career fairs. EXPO, which took place this past week, is just one of Purdue’s many career fairs, including Industrial Roundtable (IR) in the fall as well as many fairs for specific engineering majors.
This year, EXPO was a two-day event where over 170 companies come to recruit students for internships, co-ops, and full-time job positions. Traditionally, EXPO is held in late January or early February and takes place in Purdue’s gyms in the Co-Rec. This year EXPO took place in person on February 8th, 2022 and virtually on February 9th through Career Fair Plus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A week before EXPO, students were able to log onto Career
Fair Plus on their phone through the app or on their laptop browser to book a
time slot to speak with a company recruiter for both the in-person and virtual
EXPO days. Each time slot is a 10-minute period and depending on the company,
the meeting either took place in-person on Tuesday or through Career Fair Plus, Zoom,
WebEx, or Microsoft Teams on Wednesday. The best part about this format of EXPO
is no longer having to wait in long lines and knowing which companies you will
be speaking with, so you have ample time to research and formulate great
questions!
Before the career fair, students can create a profile
within Career Fair Plus with some personal information including a photo,
LinkedIn link, and resume. Since your resume is uploaded prior to the event,
many recruiters already know a bit about you, so the conversations feel more
personal.
To help prepare for EXPO, Purdue’s Career Center for Opportunities (CCO) and Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PESC) hold a Prep Night with many workshops such as resume review, elevator pitch practice, and mock interviews. When I was a freshman the resume review and elevator pitch practice workshops not only helped me gain the confidence I needed before talking to employers, but also helped me learn how to more effectively present myself. Besides Prep Night, the CCO has an internship and job search on their website.
In addition to the CCO, each engineering major aids students in career preparation. During the sophomore or junior year of classes, each engineering major has a seminar class which students with career preparation. Many seminar classes contain resume review, cover letter review, and public speaking practice. Along with seminars, most majors have a website or send out several emails with career opportunities.
There are so many opportunities to connect with
companies and seek employment here at Purdue and numerous resources to help you
prepare!
JT Sarisky, CE '22
WE Link Leadership Team
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