By Olivia Chhlang | Reporter
Baylor University’s Career Center hosted an alumni panel and networking event for the engineering and computer science department at the Rogers Engineering and Computer Science building Tuesday evening. The event is the first of many that the Career Center plans to host for each academic department.
The 12 panelists were Baylor ECS alumni who had newly graduated last spring or graduated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ranging from all different majors within engineering and computer science, the panelists were able to give students an insight into getting a job after Baylor and how to utilize what the university offers.
One important step for students is to know how to market themselves to companies. Panelist and Baylor alumnus Mario Lopes Martinez emphasized being proud and loud.
“Take a lot of pride in the work you do in class,” Martinez said. “People sense the excitement in you, especially the recruiters. I want to work with another human being who has the same level of passion that my co-workers do.”
The panelists agreed that the most successful way to become confident in front of recruiters or in general is by having constant repetition.
Even if a student doesn’t want a certain job with a particular company, being able to go up to a recruiter with an elevator pitch and hand them a resume will give students that practice for when they talk to a recruiter in the company they are interested in.
Baylor’s career fair is a way for students to get that practice in, and it is how panelist Tiffani Weir received her first internship and job outside Baylor.
“I went to the career fair, spoke with [the company] and did the interview process all through Baylor,” Weir said.
Weir said that the recruiters came on campus for the interviews, which made it convenient and quick for her to get a full-time offer.
Another way Baylor students can utilize what’s on campus is by finding something they are passionate about, according to panist Juliana Snyder.
“Something I was super involved in was ASL,” Snyder said. “It had nothing to do with engineering, but it was something I could use as a fun fact in interviews to make myself more personable.”
Martinez said that Baylor is unique in that its size allows students to be more involved and hold positions without having to compete as much as bigger schools might have to.
Panelist Bryce McWhirter said those are some of the best opportunities for extracurricular experience.
“There are just a plethora of small skills that you can learn being involved in small clubs and organizations that you’re not going to get in the standard learning environment,” McWhirter said.
A student can be involved in anything at Baylor because the experience gained by holding a position or learning how to work together in a club translates into skills needed for a company.
Within the ECS department students can work on design projects, research with a professor and create clubs.
The Career Center is hosting a campus-wide career fair from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.
