Hey everyone! So this week I’d like to blog about something that happened 2 weeks ago, but didn’t blog about last week since that was our themed blog week about majors. (By the way, if you haven’t checked out my blog about Industrial & Systems Engineering, do it!)
SWE National Conference is a three day conference of workshops, career fairs, interviews, and networking. SWE applies for funding early in the year to help cover registration fees, hotel costs, and plane fare for those SWEsters who want to go. Thank goodness for that, or else it would have been way too expensive for me and out of my budget! SWE-USC sent 12 girls from Officer Council to attend the conference.
Thursday night has various companies’ ‘hospitality suites.’ My flight got in late Thursday so I couldn’t go, but the SWE girls that did go said it was an awesome time to network with companies and get free company swag, and delicious food.
All day Friday was the career fair. There were well over 150 companies looking to specifically recruit women engineers. Interviews were handed out on the spot; The Dow Chemical Company asked me for an interview when I talked to them at their booth.
The booths at the career fair were so extravagant!
All ready to impress at the career fair.
There was also the opportunity to go to workshops held on Friday, but as I was so busy going to different booths at the career fair, interviewing, and selling our SWE shirts at the SWE Boutique (a place for all attending universities to sell their shirts, sunglasses, etc.), I wasn’t able to attend any workshops.
Some SWE girls selling our t-shirts at the SWE boutique!
Friday evening we all went to Tex Mex and devoured authentic queso dip with chips (delicious!!!).
Tex Mex!
Saturday I manned our SWE boutique all morning with Emily, selling more of our SWEet SWE t-shirts. We then had a lunch sponsored by Northrop Grumman; there were NG reps sitting at each table. This gave us more time to network!
Right before Celebrate SWE
We had the afternoon off until the evening, which was the Celebrate SWE dinner. It was a delicious 3-hour long celebration of all the SWE collegiate sections, in addition to honoring all of the SWE scholarship recipients. There was also a presentation and speech honoring the Executive Director & CEO of SWE for the past 10 years.
Betty Shanahan, SWE Executive Director & CEO
Saturday evening we went out to eat at Texas BBQ, ate some more queso, and I had a pulled pork sandwich. After that we went line dancing, Houston style!
The weekend was so fun, and I was lucky enough to get an internship offer from it! I had the great opportunity to network with tons of companies, and got to meet students from other SWE collegiate sections as well. Not only did I form stronger bonds with my SWEsters from USC, but I also made new connections. It was a truly awesome weekend!
