SOCORRO, N.M. – Recruiters from 78 different companies, organizations, and academic institutions flocked to New Mexico Tech to meet with hundreds of students at the university’s annual career fair. The Fall 2022 Career and Graduate School Fair, held Sept. 20, 2022, at the Fidel Student Center, attracted hundreds of students interested in internships, summer jobs, career opportunities, fellowships, and graduate school options.

In the weeks leading up to the fair the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement also organized information sessions and workshops on resume writing, interviewing skills, elevator speeches, how to dress and make an impression, and other topics intended to help students prepare to meet recruiters. Many employers at the fair offered information sessions and interview opportunities for students. Many more companies are planning to hold information sessions on campus in the coming days to answer students’ questions and accept resumes.

Michael Voegerl, director of the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement, said the career fair offers students a valuable opportunity to personally interact with recruiters and people who can make hiring decisions. Many alumni, he said, return to campus for the career fair to represent their companies and help recruit Tech students.

“Students can talk with someone who has been in their shoes,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for students to increase their network and make connections. They learn how to talk to recruiters. It’s a good experience.”

Companies from all over the state of New Mexico and the southwest region – including Sandia National Labs and Los Alamos National Labs, Texas Instruments, Vulcan Materials, engineering and consulting firms, state and federal government agencies, and graduate schools – staffed tables to talk directly to students eager to find internships, line up jobs after graduation, and find out about fellowships and graduate opportunities. 

Angela Nataly Vanegras, a graduate student in mining and mineral engineering, headed straight for the Freeport-McMoRan table to talk to recruiter Lorraine Middlebrook.

“I really want to work at Freeport,” she said of the Phoenix, Arizona-based mining company.

Kaisa Drew, a sophomore computer science major, said attending the career fair was a valuable experience for her. She asked about summer internships with New Mexico and out-of-state companies that have offices in the Albuquerque area.

“I learned a lot of things I hadn’t heard of,” she said. 

The Center for Student Leadership and Engagement also sponsors a free Career Closet and encourages students to stop by on the second floor of Fidel Center to check out the donated suits, dresses, and other interview-appropriate clothing. Another career fair will be held in the spring.