Jostling for Jobs

Monday, September 16, 2019

More companies than ever before turned out to recruit students at the CEAT Career Fair last September.

Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Student Council members, alongside OSU Career Services staff, hosted the annual event for students seeking jobs and internships.

About 2,200 students — 2,000 of them CEAT students — connected with leaders in the science, technology, engineering and math industries. The CEAT Career Fair is the largest career fair at OSU and is often recognized nationally, according to OSU Career Services.

Wade Witcher, a chemical engineering sophomore, was co-coordinator of the career fair, which drew 244 companies.

“We looked at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 career fairs to see if the same companies would return,” Witcher said. “If any companies didn’t come back, we tried to the best of our ability to get them back for this year.”

The CEAT Student Council had increased the price for career fair spots. Witcher said he wanted to bring more profit for CEAT Student Council by selling out Gallagher-Iba, and that’s exactly what they were able to accomplish.

“CEAT Student Council keeps all the profit from the career fair and places it into our operating budget,” said Maddie Hawkins, CEAT Student Council president and an industrial engineering and management senior. “We offer co-sponsorships to clubs and organizations for their events throughout the year, so their memberships can have the best.”

As president, Hawkins said it is one of her goals to try to give back as much as she can to the students while she is serving on CEAT Student Council. CEAT Student Council gives over half of the profit made from the career fair back to CEAT clubs.

“We want to build camaraderie between the students and recruiters to ensure they have the best experience they can at the career fair,”
Hawkins said. “We try to focus on the benefit to the students the most.”

Many students wanted to see specific companies at the career fair, which led Witcher to chase those the students wanted.

Co-chair Nathan Hodges and CEAT Career Services Coordinator Andrea Haken also worked on the fair.

“CEAT does a great job at providing all aspects of the industry to its students,” said Haken. “Students have more options, and it opens the door to more opportunities that they can take advantage of.”

Haken said she helped oversee the career fair coordinators to navigate and troubleshoot problems. She helped recruit companies, but her main role was to prepare the students to be ready in all situations at the career fair.

“I review résumés, develop interview skills and teach how to talk with recruiters,” Haken said.

“At the CEAT Career Fair, industry leaders are searching for CEAT students, knowing what they are capable of,” Hodges said.