Career Networking Event 2019

More than 250 students turned up at ECU’s Murphy Center in their workday best to take advantage of the opportunity to network with professionals from a wide range of companies in industries from construction and manufacturing to pharmaceuticals and gaming.

The event was designed to give students an additional chance to experience networking in a career fair setting and to include participating companies more specific to the College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Business than the larger university-wide Spring Career Fair.

Patrick Rhodes, engineering manager with Roberts Company and a 2008 graduate of ECU’s Department of Engineering, said he likes the more focused nature of the event. “We have had great luck with ECU students in the past,” he said. “We have at least three ECU engineers and three ECU construction managers, and the founder, John Roberts, is an alumnus of the College of Business.”

Some students arrived knowing exactly who they wanted to talk to, while others came to explore their options.

“It’s a chance to speak to employers and say, ‘I’m a computer science major; what kind of work could I do with your company?'” said junior Trevon Jones. His approach must have worked, as he lined up an interview with CISCO, the first company he spoke to upon arriving.

Senior construction management student Sahitya Kancharla said it was her second time attending a career event. She’d like to find a position as a project engineer with a residential construction company. “It’s gone well so far,” she said.

Katlyn Sakowski of Grover Gaming said she was pleased with the turnout. The company is always looking for talented game developers, software developers and IT managers, she said, and sometimes even creates positions to fit people’s skills and interests. “We want people to do what they love,” she said.