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April 2004
Career expo reaches new heights
Students met with 22 exhibiting employers
Although the 100-plus students gathered at Coffman Memorial Union on March 3 came from a variety of departments and disciplines, they arrived with the same goal in mind: finding a job. The Transportation Career Expo is an annual event that gives students the opportunity to ask questions, receive seasoned advice, obtain feedback on their resumes, and network with employers. This year's expo was the most successful to date, with 12 schools represented from three states; 22 exhibiting employers; and more students in more majors than ever before.
The event began with a general session on career preparation moderated by Cheri Marti of CTS and featuring panelists Michael Eastling from the city of Richfield, Stephanie Eiler from consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, and Jolene Forman from Mn/DOT. The discussion covered the entire job hunt process, from networking to resumes to interviews. The panelists stressed doing whatever it takes to land a first position, even if that means working for free for a short time. As Eastling noted, "The first job is the toughest."
The panelists also had a lot more key advice to offer. Eastling suggested finding a mentor, stating that "asking someone to mentor you is like paying them a huge compliment." Forman advocated watching for fatal flaws in resumes, such as misspellings, because mistakes like those generally won't allow you an interview. Eiler said that the most important factor in an interview is showing that you can communicate effectively by using good eye contact and answering questions clearly without rambling. All three panelists agreed that communication skills are very important, no matter if the candidate is an engineer or planner.
Following the general session students broke out into four concurrent sessions:
- Engineering/Technical Careers. Panelists: Bernie Arseneau, Mn/DOT; Klayton Eckles, city of Stillwater; and Mike Marti, SRF Consulting.
- Transportation Planning and Policy Careers. Panelists: Erin Mitchell, Metro Transit; Eric Padget, URS Corporation; and Kirby Becker, Parson Transportation.
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Careers. Panelists: Lisa Dumke, Addco Inc. and Daryl Taavola, Mn/DOT
- Transportation Logistics Careers. Panelists: Greg West, CH Robinson Worldwide; Sarah Sheehan, General Mills, Inc.; and Christy Schafer, Best Buy, Inc.
Students also met and networked with representatives from companies involved in the transportation field during the final part of the event. The Center for Transportation Studies offered the event in cooperation with the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB), the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), and the ITS Institute.