The Wood Product Manufacturing Day, hosted from Feb. 26 to Feb. 27, is a two-day event set up by faculty to allow students to network with businesses. The first day held presentations, table presentations, and dinner in the evening. The second day was dedicated to interviews.
Professor Jordan Backs described the day as an opportunity for companies to “come in from all over the United States,” with some coming from as far as Florida and Reno, Nevada. Some came from the Virginia area, too. “They do a presentation in the morning, table time in the afternoon, and then on Friday mornings they do the interviews.”
Only the top eight companies who donated at least $1,000 were allowed to present. Companies do presentations to raise money for new equipment, equipment repairs, and scholarships for students as well as to speak on their assorted topics. According to Professor Backs, the donations totaled to be around $21,000 this year.
This year, 20 companies were in attendance, and many students came to arrange an internship or full-time job with them. However, for some wood product manufacturing students like Brady Cook, a junior in the program and president of the S.A.W. Club, the event simply helps them to network with the companies. “I just enjoy talking to all the companies and just creating that relationship,” Cook said.
Many of the companies in attendance are either owned by or represented by Pittsburg State University alumni, such as Pitt State graduate Bob Holloway. He graduated from the Wood Product Manufacturing program in 2004 and now owns Advantage Architectural Woodwork. Holloway has attended on behalf of his company for the last five or so years and said, “This time was quite a bit different.” He said that this year, “there was a lot more student engagement, and a really engaging freshman class.”
Being the president of the Society of Architectural Woodworkers, Cook said that “it put [him] in a position to become a leader and try to set an example for the upcoming officers or president.” Having experience in areas relevant to your chosen field not only looks great on resumes, but provides skills needed for those jobs as well.
Hannah Reilly is a junior dual majoring in wood product manufacturing and career and technical education with a Spanish minor. She said that she has “developed a close relationship with a lot of people because they come every year after year.” After the table time is over for the day, there is a dinner all the companies attend where students can come to talk with them in a less formal setting.
While most interviews are set up during the table time, some are set up through email or at the dinner. The interviews begin at 8 a.m. and take up a 15-minute time slot. They do not always lead to a job offer and are sometimes used as an opportunity to instead socialize or practice for future interviews. One student who took advantage of this is first-year student Trevor Shanley. He is a wood product manufacturing major, and even though he is in his first year at the university, he scheduled eight interviews for Friday. He said that “it was not as intimidating as it seemed, and half the time it was just a conversation.”