Collegiate Times

Ryan Bugas a sophomore mechanical engineering major talks to a Lockheed Martin representative.

Virginia Tech's annual Engineering is one of the largest in the entire country, allowing engineering students to come and meet with potential future employers.

This year, the expo offered over 250 companies and over 800 attending company representatives.

"There's always a waiting line for my firms' employees to want to come to this, because we're all alumni and can't wait to come back to the campus. All four of us here today graduated from Tech," said Mike Potter, a representative for RK&K Consulting Engineers.

In addition to the students' excitement to meet with the companies, many companies are anxious to meet with the rising graduates of Tech's prestigious engineering program.

"We get a book of resumes from engineering students that we go through before we come to the expo. I have actually marked resumes that I am interested in and am looking to meet those individuals. It's not just them coming to see us, we reach out to them as well," Potter said.

The engineering firms are not just interested in recruiting rising graduates for jobs. Many of the companies are looking for younger students for internships and co-ops as well.

"We are actively looking for students to have internships with us for the upcoming summer. We're a very big company and are very interested in having a presence on this campus," said Kimberly Green Hanson, Building Materials representative.

The companies at the expo offer many opportunities for students.

"We usually hire about 2,000 full time employees and 2,000 summer interns every year. Tech is one of the schools we love to recruit from," said Stephanie Lockhart, Lockheed Martin representative.

Hundreds of students made their way into the expo, dressed in suits and carrying resumes. As the older students made their way into the expo, many of the new freshmen engineering students volunteered. The Student Engineers' Council volunteers were able to get a first-hand look at what they would be participating in the upcoming years.

"It's a great opportunity for engineering students to come and see the future opportunities that are out there for them," said Christopher Steines, a freshman engineering major and volunteer.

The expo had such high demand from so many companies, that some were unable to attend the fair. These companies were listed in the guidebook that each student was given as they walked into the expo. The guidebook listed every company in attendance, as well as tips to make the most out of the time spent at the expo.

"Around 80 percent of our engineering department is alum of Virginia Tech. This expo allows students to ask any questions they have about the market, and to see what is really out there," said Greg Widener, Thompson and Litton representative.