We engage heavily on college and trade career fairs. You may be one of those employees that came to us due to attending a career fair. They are a benefit for everyone involved.
College Fairs
We participate in 7 colleges not only in California, but also in Oregon. We are planning to tap into Boise State this year. We start planning during the summer as registration start for the fall career fairs. We look for summer interns and full-time Project Engineers during the fairs. For example, for summer 2023, we are looking for 12 interns: 2 for SAC, 1 for Casey Fogli and the rest for the Bay Area. Some of the interns start in Estimating and others in the field.
Trade Fairs
We partner primarily with Cypress Mandela for trade career fairs. They have two fairs per year with the first one coming up on March 16th. The second one will be during the summer. McGuire and Hester, Casey Fogli, and CF&T bring heavy equipment to display at the career fair which the students love to see. We get a lot of questions about how to get into the laborers’ and/or operators’ union. They get to see a pathway to a viable career opportunity that they otherwise may not be exposed to.
High School Fairs
We also participate in Vocational Education & Career Opportunity Fairs at the high school level. We have partnered with Laney college for their trade career fairs as well as their open house. Students may not have decided yet if college is the path for them. Exposing students to the different paths in construction is vital to educating students and parents alike that there is a viable path for a long-term career, benefits, pension, training and long-term, even ownership. It is vital to the construction industry to keep exposing potential students to what careers in construction are like as well as to show them how the industry has changed.
Representing Our Company
A lot of work goes into preparing for the career fairs. We have employees that take time out of their busy schedules to represent our companies. They become our ambassadors. They showcase what our companies are all about and get an opportunity to interact with students who might be ambivalent about what career path to follow.
Interacting with Students
This is one of the only times when students can meet and interact in person before a full formal interview. They get to explore different career opportunities, meet prospective employers, and practice professional behavior. It takes away a little bit of the nervousness some students feel. It might be the first time they are looking for an internship or post-graduation job. This is also a safe place for students to make mistakes and learn from them. They can be better at the next recruiting table.
We as the employer(s) get to show potential employees what we are all about, the opportunities available and more importantly the core values we provide.
We are so proud of the Cal Poly Heavy Civil Construction team for taking home 1st place at the ASC Region 7 Student Competition. Congratulations Team!🎉
ASC Competition
The college career fairs culminate in the ASC (Association School of Construction) competition in Reno. This 2-day intense college competition provides student teams valuable “real world” experiences in developing and presenting project problems to practicing professionals. Colleges from all over the United States with either a construction management and/or civil engineering program compete in different categories.
McGuire and Hester sponsor a team from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo every year. This year they took first place in the heavy civil category. Special thanks to Austin Eberle for coaching the team to victory! They were competing with 18 other teams in this category.