IBM to host career fair for college grads

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Spartan engineers will be given the opportunity Monday to pursue up to 60 new jobs with IBM — jobs they wouldn’t have to leave the city of East Lansing to get.

Recruiters from IBM’s Global Delivery Center, which is located on the second floor of the MSU Federal Credit Union at 600 E. Crescent Road, for application services will be on campus for a meet-and-greet with both MSU and non-MSU graduates next week, looking for computer science and engineering student interviewees, said John Hill, director for MSU Alumni Career Services.

Hill said recruiters are looking for applicants with one to seven years of programming experience and will be offering interviews to some students at the event.

“It’s essentially an IBM career fair,” he said. “We’re hoping for about 300 people to attend.”

The center, which was announced as an IBM-MSU partnership in January 2009, has been operating since June 2009. IBM could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Garth Motschenbacher, director of employer relations in the MSU College of Engineering, said about 30 MSU graduates work at the center.

Motschenbacher said IBM’s proximity to campus provides a great opportunity for MSU students.

“A majority of students that come to the university are looking for work opportunities at home first,” he said. “Their second choice is right here in East Lansing.”

Undergraduate academic adviser Teresa VanderSloot said MSU engineers and computer scientists are very marketable for many companies.

“They have high job placement rates right now,” VanderSloot said. “This is a great opportunity for companies to get candidates and a great opportunity for students to get practical experience.”

Motschenbacher said East Lansing is an ideal spot for IBM to be operating this kind of business.

“This is a real strong hub for IT,” he said. “Over 300 companies in the Lansing area have a strong IT base in their company, and MSU is right here to provide them with entry-level hires.”

Hill said IBM workers will be dealing with companies that will contract them out to help with programming and technical needs.

“To me this is representative of how good a university MSU is to have such a great partnership with a company like IBM,” Hill said.

“IBM recognized that MSU could be a good partner in this endeavor, and conversely, MSU believes that IBM is a fantastic opportunity for our students and alumni. It’s a win-win partnership.”

Motschenbacher said companies hiring in Michigan such as IBM offer hope to graduates in the state.

“It gives them that opportunity and the inspiration to show them that there are other opportunities out in the state,” he said. “It tells them that their degree in these tough economic times is really valuable.”

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