The Kansas Technology Center (KTC) hosted more than 200 companies for Company Days Sept. 18-19, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students who attended had the opportunity to hand in their resumes and make connections with companies from around the area.
Company Days is held annually every fall semester for two days to invite companies and provide them a chance to visit the campus and connect with students from different departments, majors, and degrees to build future relationships.
Another opportunity this event provides is a chance for companies to meet faculty and staff members and explore each facility and department to become one of many PSU future industry partners. Many students who attended this event were encouraged by their KTC professors to look for internships and job opportunities.
Students dressed professionally and prepared themselves to connect with the variety of companies, build relations, and collect some free goodies. Chinta Aishwarya, graduate student in information technology, said she attended to look for an internship in her field and connect with companies.
“I’m also here to gain experience in talking to companies’ officials and professionals,” Aishwarya said. “I didn’t find companies that offer internships in my study field but I was able to talk to some companies that helped in recommended other companies to me in my study field.”
Some students from within the technology department did find companies offering jobs and paid internships in their field, though, such as Laekin Starr, junior in graphic design.
“I am a transfer student and this is my first time attending this event, it was recommended to me by my advisor to come here and look for internships,” Starr said. “I’ve never had the opportunity in my previous school to look at a ton of different graphics places all at once, so this is a really good opportunity for me.”
Anam Wasim, graduate student in engineering technology, said Company Days provides a great and free opportunity for students to meet companies on campus to build experience.
“For this event I was able to work on improving my resume and bring it with me to hand it to some companies to be able to find a full-time position after I graduate this semester,” Wasim said. “I had the chance to talk to so many employers today and was able to build some connections because I had some friends graduate last semester with a job offer from some companies that were in Company Days last year.”
Other students attended the event to see projects industries are working on and what challenges they’re facing, as Will Black, senior in environmental and safety management, did.
“I love that I’m able to come here and say no to some companies,” Will Black said. “I’ve done that before and it’s a great feeling because of some of the job offers. It’s hard for some new students to do it to get internships, but once they try and get their first internship, these companies are begging for students to work.”
Black said he has had four internships total, three of which were from Company Cays.
“I can’t believe that companies actually come here trying to recruit us like this, they’re spending money to send people down, spending money on hotel rooms and things like that just so that we work for them and they pay us more money.” Black said. “I am so thrilled to walk around and talk to companies that are here willing to hire us.”
Black said opportunities like Company Days make PSU a special place for those dedicated to construction, manufacturing, safety, wood technology, plastics, and graphic design.