“To be honest, for about my first two years at Tech I always said, ‘I go to Michigan Tech, but I’m not a Michigan Tech student,’” said Victoria Peters, a fourth year in Communication and Culture studies. Engineering has been the very quintessence of campus since Michigan Tech University came together in 1964, but some students wonder if there is room to be successful outside of the engineering locale on campus.
In Fall 2008, an enrollment report issued by Michigan Tech indicated that 999 freshman out of 1720 were pursuing some branch of engineering. Therefore, Michigan Tech’s campus is mostly comprised of engineering students; this majority evidently leads to the resulting decisions of the participants in each career fair.
Devoted to a campus of thousands of students, the Michigan Tech Career Center offers a variety of services to guide students on a thriving path to a career. But there is one question that lingers in the minds of select Tech students of non-engineering curricula: if this is an engineering-dominated school, what is to become of a non-engineering major, particularly around the time of the Career Fair?
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the annual Michigan Tech Career Fair took place in the SDC with over 100 different companies scouting for students to contribute their knowledge, skills and enthusiasm. For many, the Career Fair is an opportunity to make connections and cement a relationship with a future employer.
Nacelink, a new feature to the Michigan Tech Web site, recently replaced the eRecruiting software with updated benefits to better equip Michigan Tech students with the tools and tips to perfect resumes, keep track of job offers/interviews, and seek answers to any questions related to the job field and its process. Online, students can search and apply for jobs, internships or co-ops. The ones listed under Nacelink are typically geared towards Michigan Tech students specifically. In turn, employers can use Nacelink to search for qualifying students and overlook resumes. But even with the extravagancies of the Michigan Tech Career Fair, Humanities students still worry about the lack of employers interested in a humanities-driven worker.
“Jim [Turnquist] recommended that you do research into each company and see what type of work they offer. Even if the representatives are only here to hire engineers, if you explain to them how you can benefit the company, what you can do, they will take your resume back to the company for those who hire for the recruitment positions or the public relations positions to review it,” said Peters.
Julie Way, a career advisor at the Career Center, believes that despite being a Humanities major at Michigan Tech, there are still ways for that student to successfully obtain a job.
“[Career advisors] might have to devote more time to a non-engineering major to help them with their job search,” said Way. The Career Center abstains from discrimination when it comes to the majors of students. Regardless of the student’s area of interest, the center is dedicated to aiding the student in any way possible.
In terms of allocating more time for non-engineering majors, the Career Center offers to help students find companies that can gratify their career direction, even if it means zeroing in on feasible opportunities in a select location.
“Whether your next career move is to go to a good grad school or into the corporate world, we are here to guide every step of the way,” said Way. For a Humanities student trying to make their way on the Michigan Tech campus, it is vastly recommended to get involved in anything to help acquire a background. Companies seek out prospective employers with applied experience; they want someone who knows how to toil in the real world.
“I remember voicing to Michael Moore that I didn’t think there was enough on campus for us and he said ‘make your own opportunities,’” said Peters. Even for Humanities majors, there are always ways to integrate talent into campus activities. “If you can’t find an avenue to express yourself and you have a vision, I think this is the best advice to take.”
At the heels of the Career Fair, the medley of the majors at Michigan Tech can be rest assured that despite the varying amounts of attention each receives, there is equal opportunity available to those who exert the labor.
“Every student needs to be proactive from very early on in their academic career, in finding ways to use their theoretical and academic skills, in a tangible and pragmatic way: make something, write something, build something, and produce something,” said Way.