Purdue Attends The SWE National Conference



Every year, the Society of Women Engineers hosts their annual Society of Women Engineers National Conference, the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology. As a Purdue student involved in SWE, I, along with many of my fellow boilermakers, had the honor of being sponsored by PSWE to attend the conference free of charge. Having gone to the conference as both a freshman and sophomore, I can definitely say that it has been one of my favorite experiences as a woman in engineering here at Purdue.

So, what is it?


The SWE Conference is a three-day event that offers endless networking opportunities, interactive workshops on leadership and engineering subjects, and even the world’s largest career fair for women in engineering and technology that features over 450 different organizations.

This year’s conference took place in Chicago, IL from October 24 to October 26. The opening keynote speaker was Sharon Hong, who spoke about the intertwined nature of success and anxiety through imagery of a sine wave. The closing keynote speaker was Shelley Knust, who spoke about how she embraced her LGBTQ+ identity while pursuing her career in engineering. The keynote speakers are always great to hear – they offer inspirational insight into parts of an engineering career that many don’t often hear or talk about.

Why should I go?


The SWE National Conference also offers lots of help in career and professional development. There are a variety of workshops available to help you with your resume, elevator pitch, interview tips, and much more in order to get prepared for the career fair and for potential interviews. The career fair itself lasts for two days. There are hundreds of companies and organizations represented that are ready to talk with and recruit women in engineering.

Purdue also hosts their own Purdue-only events and even a Purdue Alumni breakfast, where you get to know and network with Purdue Alumni involved in SWE. Getting to experience the SWE National Conference with your fellow boilermakers is such an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get more involved. Boiler Up!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Purdue Housing

Top 10 Extracurriculars Purdue Students Want You to Join Outside of Engineering

A very (sub)objective review of dining options at Purdue