What You Need To Know About Industrial Roundtable

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What is Industrial Roundtable?

Purdue University offers many opportunities for students to look for internships, co-ops, and research positions. From career fairs to research symposiums, there are endless opportunities for the eager student. One of these opportunities is Industrial Roundtable (IR) - the largest engineering career fair at Purdue, and arguably one of the best career fairs in the nation. With over 400 companies and nearly 15,000 students attending, every year students look forward to practicing their interview skills, perfecting their résumés, and preparing their best interview outfits for IR.

Industrial Roundtable is hosted at Memorial Mall in West Lafayette. This year the fair will happen on September 10th and 11th from 9 AM to 4 PM, and it will also be held virtually on the 12th from 10 AM to 4 PM.

To participate, all you need to do is prepare your best career fair outfit, print out a couple résumés, and show up to the career fair and look for your favorite companies to talk to. All of the companies participating in the career fair can be found on the Career Fair Plus app, including where they will be located in Memorial Mall and what days they will be attending.

How To Dress

First impressions are important! Industrial Roundtable is a professional event, so students should prepare their best business attire outfit. Because IR is held during summer weather, be sure to dress accordingly so you don't get too hot. If you're not sure what to wear, try checking out this article from CareerFair+ or take a quick visit to the CCO (Center for Career Opportunities) in Young Hall for some one-on-one advice.

How To Prepare

Alright, so you have your perfect outfit ready, but now what? Career fairs are not all about looking good and showing up. In fact, a lot of preparation should go into attending one, especially one as big as Industrial Roundtable. One of the most important things you should do is find out which companies are attending and which ones you want to talk to. Make a plan - learn about the company's mission and goals and have in mind what kind of role you're interested in. Recruiters are more likely to help you get an interview if you come in knowing what kind of work you want to do. Along with this, preparing your résumé is especially important. Keep it one-page long, and make sure you highlight your work experience, your interests, and your strengths. If you've got a specific role in mind, tailor your résumé to make skills and experiences for that role stand out. If you've never written a résumé before, try checking out the CCO website for some tips or make an appointment at their office. Print out 10-20 copies to hand out and keep them in a folder so they don't get crumpled or dirty. Finally, you should prepare your elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a 30 second introduction to your recruiter that should highlight your background and interests. Again, if you have a specific company or role in mind, tailor your elevator pitch to align with that company's mission and interests. This CCO blog has some excellent tips for writing your elevator pitch.

Good Luck!

Career fairs can be intimidating at first, but in reality it's a fun chance for you to practice your interview skills, network with your dream companies, and get some freebies from the different booths. Take advantage of these three days, and remember that you are also interviewing the company, so be confident and ask the recruiters questions. Good luck and have fun!


Cynthia Castañeda, CmpE '26

WE Link Leadership Team


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