Nearly 100 high-tech companies gathered at Florida Polytechnic University’s Fall Career and Internship Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 1, offering students pathways to competitive, in-demand opportunities. The career fair was the University’s largest ever, growing by over 40% in both student and employer attendance since fall 2023. More than 700 students attended the event.
“We’ve hired plenty of Florida Poly students and we find a lot of good talent here,” said Sara Taylor, marketing and public relations manager at GMF Steel Group, based in Lakeland, Florida. “We don’t hire specific fields; we hire the right person. We find students we feel will have really great career paths.”
Taylor said her company was hiring for both full-time and internship positions, emphasizing that internship hires are usually intended to transition to full-time work after graduation.
This is exactly what many said they were hoping for.
“That would be the best-case scenario,” said Chandler Mullin, a junior majoring in computer science. “This event is a great opportunity to talk with different employers and see what each one is looking for and gauge where you are with that.”
Lines of students snaked inside the Barnett Applied Research Center as they waited for their chance to make a connection with both industry giants like Coke Florida, Jabil and Electronic Arts (EA), and a broad spectrum of specialized companies like semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology, Saddle Creek Logistics Services, and CW Roberts Contracting.
“The growth of this event shows that employers in the community understand the quality of a Florida Poly degree. They understand that our students have competitive skills and experience that make them great hires,” said Allison Pirpich, Florida Poly’s director of career services and professional development. “We hope this event allowed students to see how many industries hire STEM students, and we hope employers and students were able to make connections that ultimately lead to future internships and full-time positions.
Florida Poly alum Dylan Greene ’24 attended the career fair with the aim of finding a computer science-related position. He stopped by the EA booth and made sure to connect with the recruiter.
“I feel the in-person meetings are more efficient in time than just sitting at the computer all day using the job board websites,” Greene said. “This not only gets my name out there, but it also gets the recruiters’ attention on me and allows them to have my resume and pass it on to others.”
Prisca Chavannes, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, spent most of her time at the fair talking with energy distribution and construction employers like TECO, Duke Energy and several others in search of an internship.
“I was surprised when I came here today because I was looking at all these energy companies and was like, wow, they’re all here,” Chavannes said. “I’m also seeing bigger companies here like EA, so that’s giving more opportunities for our students to thrive and get into top places.”
More than 700 Florida Polytechnic University students connect with high-tech employers at the University’s annual Fall Career and Internship fair at the Barnett Applied Research Center on Tuesday, Oct. 1
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Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
