Annual ETSC Career Fair opens doors for CWU students

Dozens of CWU Engineering Technologies, Safety, and Construction (ETSC) students were given an opportunity to jump start their careers last month at the annual ETSC Career Fair.

A record 113 employers set up information booths in the SURC on October 3 — both in the ballroom and on the first floor — meeting with students about potential internships and job opportunities in a variety of industries.

The ETSC Career Fair, coordinated by CWU Career Services, has always been a big draw, but this year’s event stood out for the CWU faculty.

“There was noticeably more activity this year — it was huge,” ETSC Professor Jennifer Serne said. “The number of employers involved this year was indicative of the market conditions. These positions are in very high demand — whether it’s safety, engineering, or construction management — and these companies are interested in how our students can help them.”

Most of the employers at the fair were from the construction industry, but Serne noted that every specialty area was well-represented.

She explained that the need for safety professionals is especially high in the current market, and CWU offers one of the only safety-specific programs on the West Coast. Given the industry need, the career fair attracted companies from all over the Northwest, along with some from California, Colorado, Arizona, and Hawaii.

“We even had a few companies here from the East Coast,” Serne said. “They all recruit out of Central because there’s such a high demand right now.”

It also helps that CWU’s ETSC programs have built a solid reputation across the region for preparing their students well. The faculty is in close contact with employers across the industry, and they are teaching the skills companies are seeking in their new hires.

Events like the career fair allow Career Services staff and CWU faculty to put their students in front of human resources professionals and hiring managers who need their expertise. Not only are Serne and her colleagues teaching students the skills they need to get hired; they are setting them up for long-term success.

“It feels good to me, as a faculty member, that we are preparing our students in this way,” Serne said. “We are filling a huge need in the industry, but we are also helping our students find career opportunities that are secure and high-paying. There’s such a high return on investment with each of these programs.”

Two of Serne’s students volunteered at the fair and also came away with a number of valuable contacts of their own.

Ivan Espinoza-Lopez, a junior safety and health management major, handed out eight resumes, landed three interviews, and received two internship offers. Not bad for a day’s work.

“The career fair was a huge catalyst for me as I get started on my safety career,” said Espinoza-Lopez, a post-baccalaureate student from California who also holds a degree in kinesiology. “It was a great opportunity for me to introduce myself to different companies and engage with them. I came away from the fair with a lot of confidence.”

Classmate Sydney Sesso also enjoyed her experience at the event, leaving with a feeling of optimism about her career prospects. She just wishes she had more time.

“I made a list of companies that I wanted to talk to, but I only had time to meet with five,” said Sesso, a senior safety and health management minor who is majoring in leadership and management. “The conversations I had were long and I was able to build my network, so I felt like things went really well. Quality over quantity.”

Espinoza-Lopez and Sesso are both drawn to the safety profession because they like helping people. They also enjoy building relationships, which is a key function of a safety professional.

“I’m a person who likes to take preventive measures and set people up for success,” Espinoza-Lopez said. “I’m not really one to gamble. I like structure and playing by the rules. I’m all about the mission of helping people be safer and healthier, whether it’s physically, mentally, socially, or financially.”

Likewise, Sesso hopes she can influence other people’s lives in a positive way. She believes the safety profession will also provide her with many personal rewards.

“The biggest thing that drew me to safety is that I could make a positive impact on people’s lives by helping workers get home safely at the end of the day,” she said. “I am good at building relationships, and I feel like I can build an environment of trust wherever I go.”

Junior construction management and risk management major Makayla Watterson enjoyed many of the same takeaways from the career fair as her classmates, while enjoying similar success.

“I had three interviews that day and four interviews the following day,” she said, adding that she was invited out to dinner by three prospective employers. “I have stayed in touch with the companies I interviewed with and I ended up landing an internship from the connections I made at the fair.”

Watterson said what stood out to her most was how eager the employers were to learn about her and her peers as they evaluated if they might be a good fit. She was also surprised to learn how close-knit the construction management industry is.

“Most of the employers knew each other and were creating connections themselves,” she said. “This showed me that connections and communication are everything in the construction industry.” 

All three students said they would highly recommend the ETSC Career Fair to others hoping to get started in the field. With the number of employers on campus last month, and the steady growth of the ETSC programs at CWU, a wealth of opportunities abound.

“It was such a great experience,” Espinoza-Lopez said. “I came away with so many good contacts, and I am really looking forward to what the future holds.”

“I learned so much and I’m really glad I went,” Sesso added. “I got to practice my elevator pitch and made lots of new connections that will hopefully set me up well for the future.”

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Photos courtesy of CWU student photographer Gurdil Dardi