News

Networking is the key that opens many doors to permanent or co-op employment, and it was on display in many ways at RIT’s Fall Career Fair.

More than 260 employing organizations with more than 900 recruiter representatives seeking RIT students and graduates are attending the 2019 Fall University-Wide Career Fair, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Gordon Field House.

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 23: A paid, full-time work experience, co-op gives students a real-life taste of work in their chosen field. Maria Richart, director of RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education, talks with student Wil Seifried about how students can make the most of their co-op opportunities.

RIT is among the top third “National Universities,” earning praise for its co-operative education program and its graduation rate for students from low-income families, as well as its business and engineering colleges, according to the 2020 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges.

Vanesa Chiodo, a second-year museum studies student, worked as a public programs intern over the summer at The Strong National Museum of Play. Although she was only going into her second year of classes, Chiodo was eager to get some real work experience under her belt.

The Princeton Review features RIT in the just-published 2020 edition of its annual book The Best 385 Colleges, giving RIT high marks for diversity and campus life in addition to having rigorous academics and helpful professors.

When RIT student Austin Obiora Okwudili accepts his diploma on May 11 in front of family and friends, he says that he will fondly remember his late father and the legacy he left behind—always encouraging his children to work hard, be positive, persevere and, most importantly, keep the faith.

The main topic of conversation during Scott Brink’s co-op interviews was almost always about cybersecurity competitions. Luckily, Brink has thousands of hours invested in hacking competitions from his time at RIT. Brink, a 2019 graduate of RIT’s computing security program, credits those cybersecurity competitions and student clubs with helping him succeed in the major.

When Gabrielle Cole starts her new job, she will be the only female engineer at the company. Her journey from academics to professional was influenced by several factors—from family and hometown to campus and co-op experiences. She was able to build on these foundations toward an ideal first job.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s 14th annual Creative Industry Day provides companies like Adobe, Blue Sky Studios and Google the opportunity to meet with RIT’s creative talent in a career-fair setting.

Most college career fairs pair students with company recruiters looking to hire students after graduation. But at RIT, thousands of co-op placements a year are also offered, giving students experiential learning and a foot in the door after graduation.

Sandy Wu, third-year management information systems student, and the other officers in Women in Business (WIB) club plan to travel to the Silicon Valley and San Francisco area to visit companies, including Google, from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24.