Reaction Paper: CSM Career Day

Career Day, while centered on upperclassmen, maintained an interest in the younger students of the Colorado School of Mines. While all centered on various engineering fields, the represented companies were surprisingly diverse in their focal points. Personally, I was able to check out the United States Air Force booth, Motorola, Lucent Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and Hewlett Packard. While only a handful had opportunities for freshmen, each held a personal significance or sparked an internal interest. For example, as a young man in Air Force ROTC whose father flew Lockheed F-16C/D’s for the Air Force, I had to check out the Air Force and Lockheed booths. I’ve held stock in Lucent Technologies, and both Motorola and Hewlett Packard were simply companies with opportunities for freshmen, which piqued my curiosity.

While upperclassmen generally have a more centered profession choice and don’t necessarily need "attractants," the companies obviously were catering to the underclassmen by providing various giveaways and attractive visual aids. Other random tables that I visited usually matched my interests with neat giveaways that flew: Frisbees, for example.

Regarding the job market, I was unable to think in immediate terms due to my impending service to the Air Force upon graduation. Perhaps after a few active duty tours I’d consider retiring from the Air Force and pursuing a career elsewhere. I believe that my forthcoming Air Force experiences could well-prepare me for a job in a company, which designs or builds aircraft: Lockheed Martin, for example.

Essentially, my REAL career day took place one week later at ROTC Leadership Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where I was able to scope out various career fields in the military. At this point in time, I believe that my first job after my college education will be in the Space and Missiles division of the United States Air Force.