The CSUN Career Center held the Spring 2009 Tech Fest in Plaza Del Sol on Wednesday for engineering students looking for an opportunity to gather information about various companies that spark their interest and to establish contacts for future networks.
Companies ranged from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to other companies like Verizon Wireless and Jet Propulsion Laboratories.
‘I came here to see what the different companies have to offer as far as internship or jobs go,’ said Tim Ushijima, 22, civil engineering major.
Two representatives from Boston Scientifics’ Neuromodulation Division based in Valencia were there to assist students in their internship opportunities as well as promote the company.
Boston Scientific is a medical company that conceptualizes, develops, manufactures and sells medical technology that helps adjust nerve activity to alleviate chronic pain.
‘We develop medical devices that helps folks modulate pain within their nerve system,’ said Nicole Bidwell, senior recruiter of the Neuromodulation Division.
Boston Scientific has divisions set up in Southern California as well as Northern California and even in other countries like Denmark and France, the medical device company looks to offer more entry-level opportunities than other companies.
Students interested in other areas of engineering like nanotechnology or aerospace engineering and production had the chance to pick up business cards to help build their networks.
Representatives from Meggit Safety Systems who develop systems such as smoke and fire detectors for aircrafts were happy to inform students about their internships and give them an insight on what the company does.
‘We handle the raw production to the manufacturing to the deliveries of all the safety devices which go into airplanes,’ said Mike McMillan, software engineer at Meggit Safety Systems. ‘We also help develop high intensity cables and manufacture air frame for planes.’
McMillan also added that their company gets contracts and works with airplane manufacturing companies like Boeing and Airbus.
Students outside of civil and software engineering had mechanical and manufacturing companies to grasp information from like Superior Thread Rolling Company.
‘We manufacture aerospace parts and components and handle production controls systems,’ said Tom Mundy, president of Superior Thread Rolling since 1983.
CSUN students came out to the event in hopes to grab an opportunity to meet with the representatives from each company and hope to set something up for the future, especially in these tough economic times.
‘Jobs like these are going to be much tougher to get,’ said Ushijima. ‘Now a lot more students will be fighting for fewer available positions.’
Many of these companies will be visiting and recruiting at other schools throughout California and even in other states.’
‘All these companies are going to go to UCLA and USC to recruit and more competition will generate from there,’ added Ushijima.
‘Chances are the internships are close to being full, so it’s going to be really hard to find an opportunity to work with all the competition out there,’ said Darren Arrieta, 20, civil engineering major.
The Career Center provided tips on how to approach the companies at Tech Fest, telling students they should approach companies that fit their interests the most as well as pick up business cards in order to make contacts and leave a copy of their resume.’
In order to show interest in the company and to stay up with the competition, students should send thank you letters and attach another copy of their resume to each company they liked.’ If possible follow up with a phone call and ask about the status of their applications.
