Career Fair News
“This was the first virtual job fair I have attended and I was so impressed that I was able to meet and interview seventeen students over the course of an afternoon. The timing and transitions from student to student were extremely well executed! The entire process was made to appear as though they had been doing this for years. Everything was very well executed! I would absolutely sign up for the next virtual job fair!” Kerry Miller of Integrity Grading & Excavating, Inc.
Second Bell Program Virtual Engineering Co-op Career Fair a Success
On August 27, 2020 the Bell Program staff conducted their second virtual career fair. A total of thirty-two companies and fifty-three students attended. To date, ten students have been hired as a result of the career fair, while others are still in the interview process. These positions are located across the county.
The virtual career fair flow is a simple idea. The companies choose if they want to participate in either the morning session, the afternoon session, or both. The students gave a presentation for the first fifteen minutes of the session then the representatives were moved to individual breakout rooms. Once in a breakout room, the company representative remained here for the entirety of the session. The students were cycled through every ten minutes allowing the company to visit with fifteen to seventeen students over the course of a few hours.
Over sixty percent of the companies that responded to the post career fair survey had not participated in a virtual career fair in the past. Companies appreciated the chance to have one-on-one conversations with students. Companies also commented on the ease of participation. One representative noted, “It was very easy for attendees to manage- they pretty much just had to show up.”
The virtual career fair is a demonstration of how the Bell Program strives to be a difference maker in engineering education. Part of the reason for the existence of the Bell Program is to close the gap between industry and engineering education. The co-op portion of the program is an important piece as it ties the learning to the real world through application.
“The Bell Program is aspiring to be something extraordinary. The program's invested value in its students rings through during interactions with them. Bell's new approach to education creates opportunities for talented individuals in a way that allows them to find and pursue their best. At Bell, they are not only creating value for their students, but they are also getting it right for industry. These are the types of initiatives that help shape our future by creating an invested and balanced world.” Jason Johnson of Nol-Tec Systems, Inc
The Bell hosts the virtual career fair in hopes of allowing sufficient networking between companies and students. There is still room for improvement, but Tiffanie Page, a junior in the Bell Program states, “The Bell Program does an excellent job at growing through tough times. I know of no other virtual career fairs, especially one that goes off so smoothly. Even during a pandemic, I still feel that I am able to grow my connections in industry and find a company that aligns with my values and ethics.”
To continue to offer networking opportunities, the Bell Program is now offering a Flex Model virtual career fair any time of year. This allows a company to select any date and time that works best for them to meet the Bell students. A company can choose to give a presentation, meet with a group of students, or meet with students one-on-one. If you or your company are interested, sign up here.
https://www.ire.minnstate.edu/virtual-career-fair-flex-model.html
