Students were lined up along the sidewalk last week, dressed to impress and waiting for a chance to form connections.
Last Thursday, students from all programs were invited to gather at the Student Recreation Center to meet with companies about internship and career opportunities. The fair was organized in a way that allowed students to register on tablets when they arrived. Then, they were able to fill out a name tag, which were color coded by college, with their name and major before heading off to meet employers.
Employers were lined up throughout the main floor and around the track on the upper floor, with tables providing information about their companies, as well as freebies, complete with the company’s logo, for students to have. Each student was able to make their way around the building, visiting employers to learn about their companies.
SDK Engineering is an engineering company in Southfield, Michigan. SDK engineers are experienced in fusion welding, resistance and other methods of welding. They also have engineers trained in robot programming and controls engineering.
Ferris engineering technology alumnus, Nicholas Berchert, who graduated in 2021, attended the career and internship fair with SDK Engineering in hopes of recruiting students. Berchert explained how attending the fair all four years of his college career helped him.
“The first year [I was] just getting my name out there,” Berchert said. “The second year helped me get an internship, and [the] third year helped me get another internship. And then… my final year just helped me get my name out there too.”
In addition to explaining how the fair helped him, Berchert also listed ways that students can impress potential employers. Berchert explained that the best things that students can do is dress professionally and make sure that they show interest. This lets employers know that students want to be there.
Mill Steel is a supply chain-based company with headquarters in Grand Rapids. Mill Steel offers a range of internship options from forecasting to purchasing to coding. They focus on communication, collaboration and improvement to help stay successful.
Megan Justice attended the fair as a representative for Mill Steel. Justice explained her motivation behind coming to Ferris to recruit.
“We’ve been big fans of [Ferris] for many years,” Justice said. “Last year… I recruited about… three [Ferris] students to work at our headquarter office in Grand Rapids, and they have just been incredible interns, and so we had to come back and do it again.”
TDMP senior Amadi Frost attended the fair with the hopes of finding an internship. Frost described her experience at the career fair as a potential opportunity.
“So far it’s actually [been] surprising,” Frost said. “I found a great place [at] 24G, and they’re even looking for a video intern, so it actually worked out great. I am super excited now and a lot more hopeful than I was before.”
24G is a company focused on digital transformation located in Troy, Michigan. 24G helps companies market, communicate and train digitally, both in-person or virtually. The company focuses on collaboration among employees to complete projects successfully.
After the fair, students were able to leave with connections and internship and career opportunities to help them prepare for life after college.