RECRUITERS CAME TO MEET WPI’S FINEST, FUTURE EMPLOYEES WHO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
More than 170 companies and 2,000 WPI students and alumni turned out on February 20 to make the WPI Spring 2014 Career Fair a rousing success. The fair attracted companies from a range of industries and locations, from local biomedical laboratories to government defense contractors and multinational tech giants and manufacturing firms. It also drew several first-time attendees, including NASA, Google Corp., and Booz Allen Hamilton consulting.
“The breadth of companies represented, as well as the influx of new participants, shows that WPI students and alumni have a lot to offer a variety of employers,” says Steve Koppi, executive director of WPI's Career Development Center. “Recruiters came to meet our best students, and they weren’t disappointed.”
Ludwig C. Haber, principal engineer at Alden Research Laboratory Inc., was recruiting for positions in environmental, civil, and aerospace engineering and was impressed with both the enthusiasm and professionalism of the students. “When the fair opened, we had a line of students waiting to speak with us,” says Haber. “They were obviously well prepared and had very polished interview skills.”
Karyn Gottardi ‘09, a talent manager at Avery Dennison labeling and packing, says her company has long used the Career Fair to hire top talent in business and manufacturing. “We have been attending for over six years because WPI students fit well with our company culture," she says. "They have global work experience and strong problem-solving capabilities, as well as excellent leadership skills.”
WPI students were similarly impressed with employers at the fair. “There are definitely a lot of opportunities here,” said industrial engineering major Veronica Vallenilla ‘14. “I identified at least 15 companies I wanted to speak with ahead of time, and found a lot more at the fair—it’s been a great experience.”
