Why Attend AISC Conference when you are a Civil Engineering Student?

As I have mentioned before, maybe a couple of times, I wanted to build my professional career as a structural engineer on steel structures. It didn't go how I wanted it to be, which is not too bad when I look at it now.

One of the smartest things I believe I didn when I was a student at Texas A&M University was to attend AISC - Steel Conference. It is free of charge for students, and besides that they also have a maximum reimbursement up to $175. With student registration, you can attend the entire program. One very special thing for students is that there is a day set only for students. In morning session, experienced professionals give presentations and in afternoon session you get to connect with professionals in industry. This way I made many connections in industry and even had couple of interview.

The way it differs from University Career Fair is they are not necessarily hiring. They literally have a cup of coffee and hanging around to meet new generation of structural engineers. With simple research on companies and maybe on their job openings, you may land a job of your dreams and grow your professional network.

This year, it will take place in Baltimore, Maryland between 11-13 April, 2018. Don't forget to take a few copies of resumes and business cards. I attended this event in 2015 and 2016 and both were great experiences and I highly recommend it to anyone.