Purdue students lined up to speak with 12 aerospace companies at the Aerospace Career Expo (ACE) this week, packing a large conference room in the Stewart Center. This annual expo, put on by the Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Student Advisory Council (AAESAC), hosted a virtual expo on October 5, and an in-person event on October 6.

AAESAC has been hosting this career fair and connecting AAE students with the aerospace industry for more than 10 years. Though larger corporations can and do participate, ACE has developed a reputation for bringing smaller companies to campus than larger hiring events like the Industrial Roundtable (IR) career fair.

“Our fair offers a smaller, more personal experience for both recruiters and students. That has attracted more small aerospace companies over the years,” says AAESAC President Becca Reinecke.

Vishank Battar, a second-year AAE master’s student focusing on propulsion, came specifically for that small-company feel. “This expo has some smaller companies that weren’t at IR. That’s what I’m going for. I’ve worked at large companies before, and I want to see what it’s like to work in a smaller, fast-paced environment.”

Companies participated this year for different reasons, but they had one factor in common: They wanted Boilermakers specifically. Representatives from Draper Laboratory, which is known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer used in the original moon missions, traveled from Massachusetts to hire from Purdue.

“The level of engineering students you have here is outstanding, and the professors are well known in the industry,” said Matt McDonald, a senior technical recruiter for Draper. “Students here are able to come to the real world and hit the ground running.”

Roughly 150 students participated in the hybrid expo this fall – more than double the amount who could join the fully virtual fair in 2021.

KBR recruiter Cecelia Tamayo said they’re a major contractor for NASA, but they’ve been flying under the proverbial radar. The Texas-based company sent representatives from different divisions to help gain recognition among future aerospace engineers. “We have a lot of Boilermakers working at NASA Johnson Space Center as flight controllers and flight directors,” she said. “This school produces high-quality graduates, and we want to get our name out there.”

Reinecke says the small environment gives students an advantage.

“ACE provides the medium needed to make these connections in a welcoming and personal environment,” Reinecke says. “Compared to larger career fairs, ACE provides more face-to-face time with potential employers, which gives Purdue students an edge when competing with students from other schools for coveted internships and full-time positions.”

Kyle Endo, a senior studying Aeronautics and Astronautics, appreciated the aerospace focus of this particular career fair, and the smaller scale. “It’s a lot less stressful than IR. It’s a close-knit family here. I see a lot of my friends from AAE, and it’s great for networking,” he said.

Endo, who graduates in the spring, is excited about his career prospects as he approaches graduation: “The industry is booming. It’s the perfect time to get into aerospace.”

Story and photos by Alan Cesar