The Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program, Pi Sigma Pi Minority Engineering Society, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) proudly hosted the 9th Annual Industry Super Bowl on January 26-27. The Industry Super Bowl is the Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program’s largest and most successful professional development initiative.
At the Industry Super Bowl, industry representatives talk to students about career planning as well as coach students through the job searching process. In addition, industry representatives teach students valuable skills that will enable them to secure an internship, co-op or fulltime position. In the process, students learn about the participating companies and have the opportunity to network with other engineering students and industry representatives.
More than 100 students, 32 industry representatives, and 15 companies participated in the 2007 Industry Super Bowl. This year’s companies included:
- Applied Materials
- Bechtel
- Boeing
- Caterpillar
- CIA
- Chevron
- ConocoPhillips
- Dow
- Freescale Semiconductor
- Halliburton
- Lockheed Martin
- National Instruments
- Schlumberger
- Shell Oil Company
- Texas Instruments
The event began with an MVP Dinner, where students were given the opportunity to network with the industry representatives and practice their 30-second commercials. The evening continued with formal presentations on “Career Planning: What Should I Be Doing Now?” and “Positive First Impressions.”
Based on student requests, industry representatives provided insightful presentations on “How to Market Yourself Beyond a Resume”, “Conquering the Interview”, and “Hot Topics: Tips from the Experts”. “Coached” by industry representatives, student teams competed in group exercises to reinforce the presentation material. Team activities ranged from onsite mock interviews to creating new products and commercials for their company.
Industry Super Bowl provides students with the opportunity to build relationships with industry representatives who serve as recruiters for their companies. Many participants are asked to interview with the companies present at the Industry Super Bowl. Several students receive internships, co-ops, and full-time positions because of connections made at this event. In addition, students leave the Industry Super Bowl feeling more confident about interviewing, networking, and career planning. After having the opportunity to speak with industry representatives and learning about what recruiters seek in candidates, many students are inspired to stay on course and compete for their dream job.
During the MVP Dinner, Applied Materials assisted with the induction of three new students to the Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program Academic Leaders Hall of Fame. This program recognizes students that have excelled in academics, community building, and leadership. The newest inductees are Shawn Davis, Civil Engineering from Richmond, TX; Ramiro Diaz, Electrical Engineering from El Paso, TX and Denise Trevino, Civil Engineering from San Antonio, TX
