Thousands of engineering students seeking industry internships and jobs are expected to attend 2013 Engineering Expo to be held Sept. 17-18 at Squires Student Center at 290 College Ave. 

Again hosted by the Student Engineers’ Council at Virginia Tech, the two-day event is expected to draw more than 250 companies and government agencies seeking to meet prospective employees.

The council, a self-funded student organization, expects more than 5,000 students to exchange information with representatives from large, international firms to small businesses, along with federal agencies.

“The Engineering Expo draws companies that change vastly from one to the other,” said Ben Clark of Woodbury, Conn., and a senior in mechanical engineering who is serving as chairman of the council for this year. “For instance, there will be large companies such as United Technologies and Boeing, who both have over 150,000 employees, but we also draw smaller companies such as Azure Summit Technology, which employs less than a hundred employees.

Naturally, with so many companies attending there are many different industries and services being represented. Some examples are the automotive industry, large defense contractors involved in aerospace, electronics, missile systems, and many other services.”

The two-day event takes place each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students are invited to walk through the exhibits, many of which include videos, products, promotional items, demonstrations, and other items which detail what the companies do. A third-day, Sept. 19, is set aside for one-on-one interviews.

A full listing of the firms in attendance at this year’s Expo can be found at the Student Engineers Councils website, and includes a dynamic search option. A limited number of guidebooks will be available for students prior to the expo containing employer information, said Rubaiyat “Rayan” Kamal of London, a senior in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering who is serving as chairman on the Expo this year.

The annual Engineering Expo is an extension of the council’s mission to promote the personal and professional development of student engineers at Virginia Tech by helping them to define career goals, pursue career opportunities, and develop leadership skills.

Share this story