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Students on the campus of Michigan Tech showcased their achievements yesterday to nearly 400 potential employers, who came to the Houghton area from as far away as Germany.
Recruiters met with the up and coming job candidates at the Student Development Complex for the university’s Fall Career Fair.
“The students and all their hard work, this is how it pays off, with opportunity, said Michigan Tech Career Services Director Steve Patchin.
“Career Fair is really an opportunity for students to interact with recruiters and learn about opportunities,” said 6th year MTU student Ryan Thompson.
“So it’s kind of a huge event every year where it’s broadcast on campus and students come to try to get internships and full time jobs for the summer or for after school,” said MTU graduate student Madeline Shortt, who along with thousands of her classmates are excited to gain future employment.
Patchin said, “We’ve got everybody from Ford to FCA, just about every single industry you can think of including the government.”
The event is said to bring more than a thousand out-of-towners to the area who bring business to area restaurants and lodges. “They come in here so every single hotel is booked in a 100 mile radius,” said Patchin.
Thompson said, “We run out of space to host our recruiters, I’ve talked to them. They’ve done B&B’s, they’ve done hotels, renting full houses. It’s difficult to get in here and get much larger than what we have this year.”
For recruiters, getting in is difficult. The university has limited space for the event and only accepts 378 companies. For students like Madeline and Ryan, yesterday’s event demonstrates the power of networking. “I’ve talked to two people so far and finding out how many are actually alumni from all these corporations. It’s amazing how far Michigan Tech students branch out,” Shortt said.
“Really just coming out and talking with people and taking the time really leads to a lot of opportunities for students,” said Thompson.
