Nearly 20 airline industry companies came calling, courting potential job seekers from the MTSU Department of Aerospace.

More than 250 MTSU students and several others expressed their interest during the annual MTSU Aerospace Career Fair Thursday (April 6) in the Business and Aerospace Building’s first floor south lobby.

Prospective airline industry companies recruit MTSU students during the aerospace career fair April 6 in the Business and Aerospace Building first-floor south lobby area. (MTSU photos by Randy Weiler)

Aerospace holds a career fair to enable its students to meet airline industry pilots, staff and human resources personnel to discuss careers in the profession.

Christina Hiers, an assistant professor in aerospace in charge of the fair, said the growth of the event has been phenomenal, to the point of switching to a larger campus venue.

“Since the aviation industry is booming, we had a record number of companies participating this year,” Hiers said. “We anticipate having even more participants next year and moving the event to the Student Union Building.”

Eleven regional airlines, two maintenance providers, four flight schools and several other aviation firms attended. Among those sending representatives were Envoy Air, ExpressJet Airlines, PSA, Mesa Airlines and Nashville International Airport.

Perry Cox of Smyrna, Tennessee, an MTSU senior professional pilot major who graduates in December, said industry reps offered resume tips in his first venture to the career fair.

“I get to do a lot of updating on my resume,” he said. “They gave me on-the-spot pointers.”

Dana Zaher, a senior MTSU flight dispatch major, said she “met a lot of friendly people” during the more than one hour she spent visiting with the companies.

Hiers said several companies sent MTSU alumni as representatives.

The students love to see MTSU alumni working and recruiting in the aviation industry,” she said. “As a department, we love seeing how eager companies are to recruit our aerospace students.”

Hiers said the next fair is scheduled in April 2018 during the annual Alumni Spring Showcase.

Aerospace concentrations include administration, flight dispatch, maintenance management, pro pilot, technology and unmanned aircraft systems operations. For more information, call 615-898-2788 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/index.php.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

Josh Garrett, left, and MTSU senior Perry Cox listen as Capt. Annabell Shenkman, a pilot recruiter for Mesa Airlines in Dallas, Texas, shares about opportunities with her company April 6 at the MTSU aerospace department career fair in the Business and Aerospace Building. Cox is a professional pilot major who plans to graduate in December. Garrett is a Trevecca University major. They both live in Smyrna, Tennessee.

MTSU senior aerospace flight dispatch major Dana Zaher, foreground right, thanks Brandy Woods, a staffing specialist at Nashville International Airport, April 6 after they discussed career opportunities during the aerospace department’s spring career fair in the Business and Aerospace Building. Zaher will graduate in May.