Companies Clamor Rose-Hulman Students with Problem-Solving Skills
Friday, January 24, 2020
Companies from throughout the country came to the winter career fair this January in search of students for full-time, internship and co-op work opportunities.
Company representatives visiting Rose-Hulman’s winter career fair asked a lot of questions, but they didn’t ask: Are the college’s graduates and undergraduate students ready to do the job?
“If you’ve been successful here, it’s a given that you have the work ethic, technical skills and problem-solving skills to do any job we might ask of them,” says Clayton Bettenbrock, senior project engineer with Amcor, a global product packaging company.
Firms came from across the country to attend this year’s winter recruitment event, the second of three such events organized each school year by the Office of Career Services and Employer Relations. Students were reviewed for full-time, internship and co-op positions, with follow-up interviews planned in the near future.
Several companies were recruiting on campus for the first time after learning about the institute’s reputation as a leader in undergraduate STEM education, through alumni networking or outreach efforts by college officials.
That included Clif Bar & Company, a California-based firm that crafts nutritious and organic food products, including a variety of energy bars. Representatives sought mechanical engineering or electrical engineering students for summer internship opportunities.
“We like to help introduce interns to all aspects of our production processes, something that they might not get in school. They also get to take a project all the way from client introduction through the documentation process, all within the summer,” says process engineer Jason Schlueter. “Along the way, we’re also getting to review the intern’s work ethic and ability to fit into our company culture. We’re a family- and employee-owned business. Getting interns from the close-knit Rose-Hulman community would seem to be a good fit for the students and our company.”
Another career fair newcomer was Chicago-based Integra Credit. Sophia Sullivan, senior director of data science, sought mathematics, data science and software engineering students with problem-solving skills to help her team build credit models and analyze complex financial systems.
“Data science is an expanding career path that needs a person with a special skillset,” she says. “Rose-Hulman math students have an advantage in being educated within an engineering environment. They have a mindset that helps them understand problems, especially those involving aspects of technology. Also, Rose-Hulman graduates have been battled-tested within a rigorous academic environment. They’re ready for any challenge that’s put before them.”
Fifty-two percent of Rose-Hulman’s Class of 2020 has already accepted jobs, according to Scott Tieken, director of career services and employer relations. Several other students are deciding among multiple job offers or plan to attend graduate school after receiving their diplomas this May.
“STEM careers are still in high demand,” he says. “We continue to see interest from large-, middle- and small-sized companies, along with graduate school options. They all need what Rose-Hulman produces: Hard working, highly technical and dedicated people who can help them remain competitive in today’s ever-changing marketplace.”
“If you’ve been successful here, it’s a given that you have the work ethic, technical skills and problem-solving skills to do any job we might ask of them,” says Clayton Bettenbrock, senior project engineer with Amcor, a global product packaging company.
Firms came from across the country to attend this year’s winter recruitment event, the second of three such events organized each school year by the Office of Career Services and Employer Relations. Students were reviewed for full-time, internship and co-op positions, with follow-up interviews planned in the near future.
Several companies were recruiting on campus for the first time after learning about the institute’s reputation as a leader in undergraduate STEM education, through alumni networking or outreach efforts by college officials.
That included Clif Bar & Company, a California-based firm that crafts nutritious and organic food products, including a variety of energy bars. Representatives sought mechanical engineering or electrical engineering students for summer internship opportunities.
“We like to help introduce interns to all aspects of our production processes, something that they might not get in school. They also get to take a project all the way from client introduction through the documentation process, all within the summer,” says process engineer Jason Schlueter. “Along the way, we’re also getting to review the intern’s work ethic and ability to fit into our company culture. We’re a family- and employee-owned business. Getting interns from the close-knit Rose-Hulman community would seem to be a good fit for the students and our company.”
Another career fair newcomer was Chicago-based Integra Credit. Sophia Sullivan, senior director of data science, sought mathematics, data science and software engineering students with problem-solving skills to help her team build credit models and analyze complex financial systems.
“Data science is an expanding career path that needs a person with a special skillset,” she says. “Rose-Hulman math students have an advantage in being educated within an engineering environment. They have a mindset that helps them understand problems, especially those involving aspects of technology. Also, Rose-Hulman graduates have been battled-tested within a rigorous academic environment. They’re ready for any challenge that’s put before them.”
Fifty-two percent of Rose-Hulman’s Class of 2020 has already accepted jobs, according to Scott Tieken, director of career services and employer relations. Several other students are deciding among multiple job offers or plan to attend graduate school after receiving their diplomas this May.
“STEM careers are still in high demand,” he says. “We continue to see interest from large-, middle- and small-sized companies, along with graduate school options. They all need what Rose-Hulman produces: Hard working, highly technical and dedicated people who can help them remain competitive in today’s ever-changing marketplace.”