Annual event helps students pave the way from campus to career
BYU campus bustled with students and recruiters on September 21, 2023, at the highly anticipated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career fair.
The annual event, organized by BYU Careers and Experiential Learning, enables students from all disciplines to explore STEM job opportunities and network with professionals. From large corporations like Exxon Mobil and Intel, to government entities like the US Navy and FBI, to local businesses like Vivint and Lucid Software, over 200 organizations attended the 2023 fair. Company representatives answered questions, offered resume reviews, and sought candidates for internships and full-time jobs.
“We just have really good luck with our interns from the BYU program,” said recruiter Elia Miller. “They have good work ethic, they’re professional, and they’ve been well trained.”
To stand out to potential employers, students were encouraged to thoroughly prepare for the event. Elle Kelsey, a computer engineering student, shared her preparation process. “I polished my resume, and worked on my LinkedIn profile, and talked to some people about which companies we should look at, and researched where they're located and some of their mission statements and things,” Kelsey said.
Career fair attendees hope that their preparation and professionalism will open doors to the most sought-after careers in STEM. Electrical engineering student Emma Eccles noted that exciting developments in artificial intelligence add to the appeal of STEM-related jobs. “This is like the cusp of another innovation revolution,” Eccles said. “All the companies that I was talking to, they all had some type of AI integration that they’re bringing in. So it’s really cool to be a part of that.”
Several BYU alumni who have successfully launched STEM careers attended the career fair to recruit future coworkers. Jake Smith, a recent BYU engineering graduate and now full-time employee at US Synthetic, was eager to reconnect with classmates at the fair. “I’ve always loved BYU, so it’s good to be back,” Smith said. “It’s been super nice being able to know people, have friends come by, and say, ‘Hey, come apply. I want to work with you.’”
BYU alumni play a large part in the fair’s success each year by advocating for their employers to recruit at BYU or by simply excelling in the workplace and thereby boosting BYU’s reputation.
“Our predecessors—the guys who went ahead of us—they did a good job,” said chemical engineering student Khalifa Munyagane. “When I was interning, there was this notion that BYU students are really good at what they do.”
Students departed the 2023 career fair with newfound knowledge, inspiration, and work opportunities. For the recruiters in attendance, it was a chance to tap into BYU’s rich talent pool. The future looks bright for both BYU students and STEM industries.
Above is a video message from Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering Assistant Dean, Jim Trent, thanking alumni for their contribution to successful recruiting of BYU students.