As an engineering student at the University of Idaho in the 1990s, Brian Sielaff struggled to land an internship and gain valuable on-the-job experience prior to graduation. Now as CEO and Managing Member of Tamarack Grove Engineering in Boise, Sielaff aims to offer internships to as many students as possible, so they can get a head start on their careers. Tamarack Grove is among the more than 215 employers headed to Moscow for next week's Fall Career Fair in the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center. They’re seeking out Vandals for employment, internships and co-op programs. “We’ve been really impressed with the caliber of students at the U of I,” said Sielaff, who serves on the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Board. “The No. 1 thing for me in evaluating potential future hires is personality. One of the things I’ve seen from the U of I is well-rounded individuals who can communicate well, know how to work in a team and know how to present their work.” Red Aspen is another growing company in the Treasure Valley that looks to the U of I for reliable employees. Co-owner Amanda Moore is a Vandal alumnae and she’s helped build an impressive beauty brand that employs about 60 people and recently broke ground on its new 30,000 square-foot company headquarters in Meridian. “I’ve loved my experience with students at the U of I,” said Jazlyn Olmedo, who's represented Red Aspen at three U of I Career Fairs. “We have a bright pink booth that really stands out and gets people to come visit us. The students we’ve spoken with are very professional, very prepared. They know how to start conversations and many of them have done their research, which is very impressive.” Sielaff believes internships are essential, so students can identify what type of organization they’d like to work for and the field in which they’d like to specialize. “I think it’s really important for undergraduates to get plugged in with an internship and answer some of those career questions earlier,” said Sielaff. Red Aspen employed two interns from the U of I last summer. One stayed on as an intern and was promised a permanent position upon graduation. Tamarack Grove aims to grow from about 40 employees to more than 60 within the next five years, and Sielaff said their internship program and connection with the U of I are essential for the company. “We’re definitely growing and it seems like every company needs to hire five people right now,” he said. “The U of I Career Fair is really important for us. It's all about planting seeds, developing relationships and maintaining the pipeline of talent.” |