The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University will host its annual showcase on Feb. 12, 2018. The all-day event includes a career fair, student/company luncheon and other engagement opportunities among students, faculty and industry representatives.
Biomedical engineering students will have the opportunity to meet with participating companies about openings for co-ops, internships and full-time positions. Ultimately, the showcase allows students to network with industry to obtain information about career paths and the transition into a job after graduating from Texas A&M.
Companies involved in the showcase have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with biomedical engineering students. At a typical career fair, companies may only spend 30 to 60 seconds interacting with each student; in comparison, the biomedical engineering showcase allows for longer conversations with multiple students.
Interactions are an important aspect for companies as well as students to learn about the different aspects each party has to offer. Students learn valuable skills that cannot be taught within a classroom, leading Texas A&M biomedical engineering students to stand apart from their competition.
“As one of the founders of this event, I had first-hand experience on collaborating with the department and the department’s student organizations. Without everyone working together, the first showcase would not have been a success,” said Ashley Tucker, former president of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the biomedical engineering honors society. “This event has shown me how much the department and student organizations really care about their students and how they want to see them succeed after graduating.”
This year’s showcase will be comprised of four components: a career fair, a student/company luncheon, a senior design poster session and tours of the department’s research facilities. These activities are designed to show companies that students in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M are excelling and effectively conveying information both in and out of the classroom setting.
More than 20 company participants are anticipated for the 2018 showcase, which is double what the 2017 showcase hosted. In addition, the luncheon is being expanded to include any biomedical engineering senior interested in a full-time position, for more targeted networking between students and industry. The new atmosphere will hopefully lead to more engaging conversations and a better return on investment for everyone involved.