Recruiting of UW-Madison engineering students is up 25 percent from last fall and looks to increase even more this spring.
Engineering Career Services Associate Director Susan Piacenza said its spring career fair, which started yesterday, is the biggest in UW-Madison engineering history.
\The employers are happy with the students' technical and communication skills,"" she said.
Students of all engineering disciplines are getting multiple offers.
UW-Madison junior engineering student Kyle Blanton is excited about the increase of recruiters at UW-Madison, and feels the university itself gives him an edge in the market.
""I think one of the main reasons I came to Madison is that they have a strong engineering program, he said. ""UW-Madison looks good on paper, and I feel I get a better education.""
This year, the career fair features many new recruiters, including Clorox, Google, Amazon, and Biodiesel Systems.
Susan Piacenza said there are many things UW-Madison engineering students can do to ensure they will receive the best offer from the best company.
""Start early on your job search. Get some leadership experience in student organizations,"" she said. ""Get involved in out of class activities where they can develop team skills and leadership skills.""
UW-Madison junior Michael Verner is an electrical engineering major and writes for a Wisconsin engineering publication to enhance his technical communication skills.
""It furnishes my communication skills that I wouldn't otherwise learn in the engineering curriculum,"" he said. ""Writing gives me a leg up on the competition.""
Piacenza also said a co-op or internship position is not required by the companies, but is something they look very highly upon.
Both Blanton and Verner said they are looking into internships to help with their career search upon graduation.
The engineering discipline most in demand are civil and environmental, although electrical and computer engineering are making a strong comeback from recent years.
Piacenza said that overall the outlook is very good for all fields of engineering.
""Most demand is pretty steady and improving across all of the disciplines,"" she said.
Piacenza also said a renewed trust in the economy means a lot for opportunities available to engineering students.
""Consumers have more confidence, and the manufacturing is coming back,"" she said. ""The comeback is a healthy one.""
The Engineering Career Services career fair is running in the Engineering Centers Building and continues today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
