Sept. 13, 2006 -- For three days in mid-September, the University of Virginia’s Center for Engineering Career Development will host about 170 organizations in one of the largest career fairs held on U.Va. Grounds during the 2006-07 academic year.

The list of companies — a veritable Who’s Who of American business and industry — runs the gamut from banking and business consulting to computer software and defense manufacturers. Many of the companies will be recruiting engineering students for jobs outside the engineering profession.

“There is a growing recognition of U.Va. engineers as possessing not only problem-solving and analytical aptitudes, but also leadership and communication skills that are necessary for success in business and industry,” said C.J. Livesay, director of the Center for Engineering Career Development at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. “In the last five to eight years, we've seen growth in the number of non-traditional engineering recruiters. This can be attributed, in part, to the addition of the engineering business minor to our curriculum and to the courses offered by our Science, Technology and Society Department. These programs differentiate U.Va. engineers and recruiters are noticing.”

Among the companies coming to recruit at U.Va.’s “Engineering Career Days” are Accenture; Bank of America, N.A.; Booz Allen Hamilton; Goldman Sachs; Lockheed Martin; Microsoft Corp.; and Northrop Grumman Corp. Representatives from about 60 companies will be on hand each day on Sept. 19, 20 and 21 to answer questions, accept resumes and meet with more than 2,000 first- through fourth-year students interested in full-time jobs or internships. The career fair, to be held in Darden Court, behind the Engineering School’s Thornton Hall, will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Last year, 95 percent of the Engineering School’s student body attended Engineering Career Days and more than 61 percent of students who attended accepted positions offered through the fair or through other avenues provided by the Center for Engineering Career Development and University Career Services. The top industries drawing U.Va. engineering students last year were: consulting and management of information technology, engineering services, government contracting, manufacturing, the financial industry, information technology and systems integration, computer software and systems, and the federal government.

For U.Va. engineering students who graduated last spring, the top individual employers were: Booz Allen Hamilton, management consulting, 14 hires (majors: computer science, electrical engineering, systems and information engineering); Lockheed Martin, advanced technology and aerospace, 11 hires (majors: aerospace engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering systems and information engineering); and Northrop Grumman Corp., advanced technology and defense, seven hires (majors: computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, systems and information engineering).

“The fact that such a variety of organizations — not just engineering-driven corporations — elect to participate in the school’s Engineering Career Days is indicative of the quality of the students we educate here,” said James H. Aylor, dean of the engineering school. “Our students are equipped with the problem-solving, leadership and communication skills needed to succeed in a myriad of industries.”

U.Va. School of Engineering and Applied Science

Founded in 1836, the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science combines research and educational opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Within the undergraduate programs, courses in engineering, ethics, mathematics, the sciences and the humanities are available to build a strong foundation for careers in engineering and other professions. Its abundant research opportunities complement the curriculum and educate young men and women to become thoughtful leaders in technology and society. At the graduate level, the Engineering School collaborates with the University's highly ranked medical and business schools on interdisciplinary research projects and entrepreneurial initiatives. With a distinguished faculty and a student body of 2,000 undergraduates and 650 graduate students, the Engineering School offers an array of engineering disciplines, including cutting-edge research programs in computer and information science and engineering, bioengineering, and nanotechnology. For more information, visit www.seas.virginia.edu.

For more information about trends in careers for engineers and the services provided to U.Va. engineering students through the Center for Engineering Career Development, contact C.J. Livesay by phone at (434) 982-2132 or by email at cjl2f@virginia.edu.