The Future of US Industry

I had the pleasure recently of participating in Career Day for the University of Florida’s Engineering Dept. It was rewarding to see the future industry leaders excited and engaged in learning more about the world of business that they will inherit. I participated in a panel that answered questions ranging from what recruiters are looking for when choosing the candidates they hire, to what are the changes we are currently undergoing in our fields of business. The event included representatives of several fortune 100 companies seeking to recruit new trainees. I was pleased to hear all the companies encourage the students to voice their ideas and suggestions to the companies that eventually hire them. Without exception, the company representatives all stated that they need the new viewpoints, thoughts and opinions of the younger generation to keep their companies progressing. My personal opinion is that when a company stops growing, it starts to die. Injecting new, fresh ideas is the lifeblood of every strong company.

Later in the day we were able to meet one-on-one in a casual networking social event that gave us the opportunity to have a more personal dialog with individual students. The event was well attended and one of the organizers informed me that they only advertized it to the students through the Engineering Dept.’s Facebook page, a fact that highlights the difference between that generation and the more mature (I don’t want to say ‘older’) industry representatives who attended via personal e-mail invitations.

I recommend all companies to assign someone to spend at least one (much more if possible) day per year at such an event. It is a win-win for both the companies that participate and the students eager to get a glimpse into their future life’s work environment.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading packaging machinery manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at www.neminc.com.