Industry offers insights to achieve success in engineering
Society of Women Engineers hosts 12th annual Evening with Industry
Around 80 female students in the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering and Applied Science connected with more than 40 STEM professionals from a variety of industries during the 12th annual Evening with Industry event in September.
Hosted by the UC chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, the event provides a catalyst to jump start career exploration for first-year students and a chance for all students to learn more about potential co-op positions and future job opportunities.
About 30 corporations were represented at the event, including Messer Construction, Marathon Petroleum and Turner Construction, who have participated in the event multiple times.
The event is mutually beneficial for corporate representatives and students. Companies participate to interact with highly talented UC engineering and technology students. Attendees get ample opportunities to engage one-on-one with engineering professionals from a variety of backgrounds and fields, helping them envision where they might find their niche in the professional world after they earn their degree.
Students got to engage with over 30 companies. Photo/provided.
“We talked about what it looks like to be a woman in the engineering field and how to navigate entering the workforce,” said Priya Modgil, a fourth-year chemical engineering student and Evening with Industry chair. “The representatives were able to give wonderful advice from a female perspective.”
Students could rotate among 12 virtual break-out rooms with professionals from various companies, who were grouped together by discipline.
“The break-out sessions were intended to create a smaller, more personal atmosphere where participants could actively engage with industry representatives and make meaningful connections with professionals in their field, despite not being in person,” said Modgil.
This year’s program offered ample opportunity for attendees to gain more experience with virtual networking, a skill that is extremely useful in the current state of the pandemic.
Student volunteers served as moderators for three rounds of sessions including, "The Ideal Candidate and Resume," "How to Ace the Interview" and "All About Your Corporation."
Discussions included what makes an ideal candidate for various engineering disciplines, how to stand out in virtual interviews, technical questions about each company’s specialty and tips for crafting an effective resume.
Participants got a chance to practice virtual networking skills. Photo/Provided.
The professionals also shared how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their companies and their co-ops.
The event, which traditionally includes in-person speed-networking sessions and a business dinner, had to undergo an extensive redesign once most of the world went remote.
“The pivot to a virtual event and planning for all the 'what-ifs' was a tremendous undertaking,” said Kate Abeln, a fifth-year biomedical engineering student who was the event chair in 2019 and now serves as a mentor.
SWE is honored to serve as the host for Evening with Industry, which is held the evening before the annual Technical Career Fair hosted by the college’s Tribunal during UC Fall Career Week.
The office of Inclusive Excellence and Community Engagement, Paula Davis Lampley, Women in Engineering Director, and Krizia Cabrera-Toro, Women in Engineering Program Coordinator, helped with planning and logistics.
"I am always excited to work with our SWE leaders who always plan an incredible event. Evening with Industry is a fun and engaging opportunity for industry representatives to meet our students and share helpful career related tips,” said Lampley. “Our students get to practice their networking skills the night before the large career fair. It is a win-win for everyone that attends.”
Although the event was designed for female students, the entire student body was invited and encouraged to attend the event.
The group looks forward to expanding the reach and diversity of the event even more, on both the student and industry level in the future.
For the first time, SWE is excited to host a virtual Evening with Industy event on February 8, 2021, the evening before the Spring Technical Career Fair. Details regarding the event will be released on the UC SWE website soon.
SWE kicked off the school year with a virtual welcome event in August via Instagram livestream, and welcomes anyone interested in SWE to reach out or find more information about events and programs on the chapter's website.
Featured image at top: the UC Engineering Research Center. Photo/UC Creative.
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