Caterpillar hosted an open house Sept. 4 to showcase some of the various opportunities available to students.
“The open house is an event for Bradley students to get a chance to learn about Caterpillar, and what kind of careers there are for them here,” Caterpillar University Relations liaison Ali Allen said.
The presentation, hosted in the Caterpillar Visitor’s Center in downtown Peoria, was the second open house of its kind to take place off-campus.
“We used to get a ballroom on campus through the Smith Career Center,” Anne McMullen, senior engineer and Campus Strategist for Production Development, said. “The event takes place every two years, and this was only the second time we’ve had it at the new building.”
Attendees were given the chance to meet with Caterpillar employees and representatives from a range of departments.
“Caterpillar has been a regional partner with Bradley University for over 50 years,” McMullen said. “We hire practicum students, interns and full-time employees from a range of majors.”
According to Allen, Caterpillar has been known to hire students from varying educational backgrounds.
“We’ve got students who studied engineering, manufacturing technology, supply chain management, business, marketing, accounting and finance,” Allen said.
Among the students in attendance was Blake McCormick, a sophomore accounting major.
“I got an email from a Caterpillar [representative] last year, and the Smith Career Center got me a lot of information on the event,” McCormick said.
Although attendance was higher two years ago due to the grand opening of the Caterpillar Visitors Center, McMullen said the event was still a success.
“It’s a huge volunteer event,” McMullen said. “There are so many students that come out, and most of the people here at Caterpillar are passionate volunteers that want to share their stories.”
The open house featured different informational stations and a refreshment area, where students could have conversations with others at the event.
“It was a very relaxed atmosphere,” McCormick said. “I got to talk to an accounting representative for ten minutes and I didn’t feel like I was interrupting at all.”
Tyler Kauffman, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said it was a good opportunity to learn about what Caterpillar offers to students before starting a job.
“There isn’t a risk of getting a job and realizing you don’t like it,” Kauffman said. “I would come again, and I’m definitely going to recommend it to other students.”
