Professional Development for Engineering Students Highlights Rising Stars Conference

Young engineering professionals will find networking opportunities and informative programming on technical innovation topics.

You know how when you’re booking a flight or crossing a border, you’re asked whether the trip is for business or pleasure? The 2017 IEEE Rising Stars Conference in Las Vegas offers engineering students and young professionals an experience rich in both.

The third-annual event is designed for engineering students, recent engineering graduates and young professionals who are looking to network with their peers and learn from seasoned industry veterans.

The conference programming features two tracks, one on technical innovation and one on professional development. “We think the dual nature of the conference, emerging technology and professional development, will have maximum benefit for our younger members,” said IEEE Region 6 director Kathleen Kramer. “Both areas are key to a successful career in engineering.”

The 2017 IEEE Rising Stars Conference features two tracks, one on technical innovation and one on professional development. (Image courtesy of IEEE-USA.)

The 2017 IEEE Rising Stars Conference features two tracks, one on technical innovation and one on professional development. (Image courtesy of IEEE-USA.)

There are a wide range of panels, speakers and topics available for attendees, including:

  • The Power of Storytelling in Leadership
  • Communicating and Networking in a Virtual World
  • Creating and Marketing Your Personal Brand
  • High Performance and Virtual Reality
  • Entrepreneurship and Start-ups
  • Internet of Things, New Technologies and Smart Cities
  • Medical Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

There is also plenty of time during the event for students and young engineers to network with other engineers, other job seekers, and employers who are looking for new hires.  Opportunities include specific meetups and mixers geared toward the younger attendees.

The program also features resume review sessions for both those who are actively on the job hunt, and those who just need to update their resume in general.  This is especially useful for new graduates who want to present their completed education, internships and other experiences in the best way possible to help them get hired.

There is also a video pitch competition that offers four prizes totaling $1,500. The video pitch competition wants to see young engineers’ best persuasive pitches for their next research project, technology, hackathon team or company idea, to name a few options.

Rising Stars is one of the largest events for students and young professionals in the Western US, and takes place from January 2 to 4th, 2017 at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

For more information on the conference, or to register, visit the 2017 IEEE Rising Stars Conference website.