The Design and Impact of Engineering Career Fairs on Professionalization: The Perspective of Career Services

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Decision Making, Problem Solving, and Career Development in Engineering (Table 34)

Abstract

Despite the widespread prevalence of engineering career fairs (ECFs) and their importance to the engineering student experience, there is little formal research on them. This research is an initial exploration of career services staff perspectives on ECFs as informal professionalization learning spaces. We analyzed data gathered in group interviews using qualitative coding, and the evolution of career fairs, the role of technology, and developing engineering identities all emerged as key themes. We argue that discipline-specific events such as ECFs offer value in the staff’s intentional design for engineering students, in the participation of companies directly interested in developing undergraduate engineers as professionals, and in increased relevance to engineering students as they develop their identities as engineers.

Authors

• Dania Wright, Arizona State University

• Adam R. Carberry, The Ohio State University

• Jameson Wetmore, Arizona State University

• Darshan Karwat, Arizona State University