The Spring Semester Career Fair 2025, organized by the Career Planning Application and Research Center (KPM) at Middle East Technical University (METU), began on March 12 at the METU Culture and Convention Center (KKM). Held on March 12-13, 17-18, and 20-21, the fair aimed to bring together students and sector representatives with the participation of nearly 100 companies and institutions from various industries.
Throughout the fair, students were able to learn about internship and job opportunities aligned with their career goals. Baykar, GCA, Gürok, Jotform, Lav, ODTÜ Teknokent, Roketsan, Sasa, Tualcom, TÜBİTAK, and Türkiye Petrolleri were among the featured participants, directly engaging with students.
Unlike in previous years, this year’s Career Fair featured an Open Stage inside the fair venue. On the stage, participating companies delivered short presentations, introducing themselves and sharing valuable insights on career planning. Presentation topics included CV writing techniques, artificial intelligence in the workplace, and internship programs.
Nearly 9,000 attendees
Lecturer Deniz Dönmez from METU Career Planning Application and Research Center spoke to METU News about the planning and content of the fair. Highlighting the significant efforts made by companies, whose numbers continue to grow each year, to attract the attention of students, Dönmez said that the fair proved to be both productive and impactful with a strong student turnout, as they typically observe nearly 5,000 to 9,000 students attending the fairs each year.
Dönmez emphasized the strong interest from companies in the defense industry and stated, “Being located in Ankara, defense sector firms place great importance on recruiting engineers. However, there are also lots of companies from various sectors in the fair such as information technology, energy, and food. Given the limited venue capacity, we assign companies to specific time slots to ensure a well-organized and efficient event program.”
METU alumnus returns to Career Fair as company representative
Utku Biricik, a 2024 graduate of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at METU, participated in this year’s Career Fair not as a student but as a company representative for LAV and experienced a shift in perspective from his earlier visits as a student. Emphasizing the valuable opportunities that career fairs offer to students, Biricik noted that he had personally benefited from the fair during the time he spent at METU as a student. Representing LAV at the fair, he stated that his company offers career opportunities to graduates of a wide range of disciplines, but particularly those graduating from the fields of metallurgical, chemical, mechanical, electrical-electronics, and industrial engineering. He also highlighted the availability of internship opportunities for students in the field of social sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. Reflecting on his own transition from being a student to a member of the professional world, Biricik described it as a unique period of questioning and discovery. He added that he believes the expectations and experiences that come with being a METU alumnus set it apart from other universities, and he encouraged all students to apply and take advantage of the opportunities available.
Çalık Enerji connects with students at METU Career Fair
As a regular participant in the METU Career Fair over the past few years, Çalık Enerji once again took part in this year’s fair to introduce students to the career opportunities it provides. Human Resources Supervisor Sedef Köse and Organizational Development and Talent Specialist Saadet Yıldız Gültekin expressed their satisfaction with the strong interest shown in the fair and emphasized that the new format also contributed to increased engagement. During the event, the company highlighted its focus on recruiting graduates from the Faculty of Engineering, particularly in mechanical, civil, electrical, and metallurgical engineering. It was also noted that candidates from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences can pursue roles in financial and administrative departments.
“Building connections is important for us”
Büşra Duru Kurtulmuş from Doğuş Otomotiv Human Resources, who took part in the METU Career Fair for the first time this year, stated, “Building connections between Doğuş Otomotiv and the students is important for us.” Kurtulmuş continued:
“We have many METU graduates working at our company, but this is the first time we are directly engaging with students. The level of interest from students is impressive, and the fair is quite crowded. Doğuş Otomotiv is the distributor of 16 international brands. We offer opportunities regardless of academic background. Our doors are open to everyone. One reason our programs are well-received is that we view our interns as future full-time employees. METU students generally have very dynamic profiles, which align well with the principles of Doğuş Otomotiv. And that is exactly why we are here, as we are looking to recruit individuals who fit this very profile.”
Doğuş Otomotiv also aimed to offer students a hands-on experience at the fair. Kurtulmuş explained that they were holding a quiz about their company, and the winer would have the chance to take a test drive around campus in a 2025 model electric SEAT CUPRA if they had a driver’s license.
“We don’t view things from a single angle”
Participating in the METU Career Fair for the first time this year, Kemal Eratak, Senior Specialist for Human Resources and Culture at Sunar Yatırım, said, “Our perspective is broad; we don’t view things grom a single angle.” Eratak continued to share his impressions: “Many of the students here at METU had done their research before coming here; some were already familiar with Sunar. We have had interns who later joined us full-time, and they recommended their friends to stop by our stand. When students come to us, they come informed and eager to learn. It’s up to us to share something meaningful with them as whatever we offer becomes a valuable contribution to their journey.
“There is a unique spirit of METU students”
Büşra Karahan Sarin, a member of the Türk Traktör Human Resources team, shared her impressions by saying, “We believe there is a unique spirit of METU students.” She also said that the student profile is exceptionally bright, and that METU has always been one of the universities they view with special regard. She said, “We sense and observe the sincerity, curiosity, ambition, and eagerness for self-development in METU students. The profiles we seek are precisely those who pursue their goals relentlessly and succeed in what they set out to achieve. That is why we are very pleased to be a part of such an event at METU.”
“METU is our first career fair experience”
Duygu Koçdağ, Recruitment Manager at Sütaş, said that they started their first career fair experience as a company with METU. She continued: “The fair has been very successful, productive, and impactful. The students bring incredible energy. Most of the students who visited us were from chemical engineering, food engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and biological sciences. Additionally, we offer internship opportunities for students from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, as well. Our headquarters has departments specifically for students from these fields.”
Strong interest in ODTÜ Teknokent companies
Aysel Şahin Dal, Director of Human Resources and Change Management at ODTÜ Teknokent, stated that the interviews conducted with approximately 100 students were highly productive. She noted that ODTÜ Teknokent is home to nearly 400 companies, the majority of which operate in the information technology, software, and defense industries. She emphasized that these companies actively seek personnel in engineering and software development. Şahin Dal also highlighted that there are employees from a variety of fields such as administrative sciences within the ODTÜ Teknokent administration. She said that there are extensive internship opportunities, with many interns currently working at ODTÜ Teknokent, and preparations are underway to recruit new interns.
“Students from non-technical fields also showed interest”
Su Aydoğdu, a recruitment officer in Human Resources at Insider and also a METU International Relations graduate, shared her experience at the career fair: “The career fair has been productive for both students and companies. While most of the attention our company received was from engineering students, we were pleased to see strong participation from students in non-technical fields, as well.”
“It is enjoyable to connect with students”
Cansu Soylu, Human Resources Specialist at METU MEMS, shared insights about their center’s operations: “MEMS is a research center focused on micro-electro-mechanical systems. In our workspace that resembles a large laboratory, our engineers manufacture microchips.” She added that the career fair had been productive and emphasized that engaging with students was a truly enjoyable experience.
Student feedback on the fair
Bilge Akbaş, a third-year student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, shared her thoughts on the fair: “Although several companies have participated the fair, we couldn’t really find many opportunities specifically related to our department. In the coming years, we hope to see more companies offering insights and job opportunities in our field. We also expect participation from firms in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, as well as private laboratories. We are disappointed not to see companies representing our field, especially considering how comprehensive our department actually is.”
Yavuz Ay, a senior student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, expressed his satisfaction with the participation of major firms and said, “In previous years, I used to visit the fair for possible internship opportunities, but this year I came to apply for full-tme positions. Compared to the past, dividing the fair over multiple days helped reduce the crowd and made it easier to engage with companies.”
For more information about the event, you can visit the Career Fair website launched by the METU Career Planning Application and Research Center.
