Engineering Week

So today when I walked into Research Park, I was pleasantly surprised to see dozens of well known companies lined up waiting to chat with the brightest upcoming minds in North Texas! Alright so I wasn't surprised (I've known about the event for weeks!), but I was still happy to see such a wide variety of businesses, interests, and knowledge base gathered in one room. If you submitted your resume, you have a chance to be interviewed by any of the 2 dozen companies present, as well as a chance to jump start your career in your engineering field!


There were lots of companies here; let's go over the full list, just for good practice:

1. American Airlines
2. Argo Data Resource Corporation
3. Austin Commericial
4. Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
5. CA
6. CareSmart Solutions
7. Constructors & Associates
8. Dibon Solutions
9. DRS RSTA - Infrared Technologies
10. Fidelity Investments
11. Freese and Nichols
12. Frito-Lay
13. Hispanic Associateion of Colleges and Universities
14. L-3 Communications Integrated Sys.
15. Labinal, Inc.
    
16. Lennox International
17. Oncor Electricity Delivery
18. PepsiCo
19. Raytheon
20. Texas Teaching Fellows/NTP
21. Tyler Technologies
22. Vought Aircraft Inc.
23. Weber Aircraft
24. United States Navy
25. UNT Army ROTC

The first thing you'll notice is that there is a very wide variety of companies. There were several technology firms, tech consulting firms, as well as weapons manufacturing companies, aviation companies, a softdrink company, the US Navy, and many more. What do all these companies need with engineers, computer scientists, and network analysts? Well, just about everything. The only fields really projected for growth in the next decade are Engineering related fields, and medical related fields. In fact, with the baby boomer generation diving into retirement in the next decade, it's obvious as to why this is. But engineers and tech savvy individuals are also going to be in high demand. Looking at just about any field - you can draw a link between tech and the aforementioned profession.

Take the soda or snack food company - there were a couple of those present today. These are perfect examples of companies that need IT analysts, computer programmers, and project managers for managing all of their remote offices and keeping their networks up and running

Next, the aviation companies. Aircraft is an excellent example of innovative engineering and clever programming and networking technologies. All come together to form the biggest and baddest flying machines out there today. In addition to the need for engineers to think , aviation companies also need programmers and IT management professionals to keep their offices running as well

Of course we can't forget about the US. Navy. The Navy is probably where most of the cutting edge technology ends up - especially tech that the public isn't even aware of. Raytheon should not be neglected, especially, as Raytheon manufactures many radar and radio systems, communications, missile defense systems, and other technologies used in the military. I actually used to live next to a prominent Raytheon leader named Al. He had an adorable dog named Winston, and a lovely house in a modest neighborhood. I was in middle school, though, so I had no idea what Raytheon was, much less what a prominent figure he was. Men in camouflage uniforms used to come by our house and question my parents once or twice a year about his activities...

Anyway, to say the least, just about any degree field in the College of Engineering is a direct pathway to success. When I spoke with the Raytheon associate, he mentioned that GPA is an important indication of work ethic and intellect, but also that prospective students and freshmen should also prepare for a life of learning. Looking ahead, I can already tell I will never stop learning. That's probably the most appealing thing to me about engineering - constant learning.

Also, for all prospective students of UNT, and UNT College of Engineering in particular, the freshman Fall 2010 application deadline is March 1!! UNT Site for more info