As an ambitious computer science major at UCF, Kenny Nguyen ’25 was already thinking ahead before graduating  — about internships, industry connections and the kind of real-world experience that would launch his career as a cyber analyst for Deloitte & Touche.

Thanks to UCF’s Kenneth G. Dixon Career Center’s dedicated support for STEM students, he had access to resources so he would not have to navigate that journey alone.

“Engineering is hands-down our most active liaison area,” says Taylor Sandifer ’23MA, assistant director of employer relations in Career Services who supports all STEM majors, including the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “CECS students show up to everything. They’re really engaged, and they take advantage of every opportunity.”

For Knights like Nguyen, that means access to employers through engineering-focused employer-led workshops, resume reviews, mock interviews, and the highly attended Internship and Career Expo, which occurs annually in the fall at the Addition Financial Arena, where as many as 300 employers fill the venue.

Big Companies Recruit Knights

Before Expo, students can participate in the Career Readiness Program, a two-week series including industry-specific, employer-led sessions where recruiters host one-on-one resume reviews and mock interviews to help students prepare.

UCF’s employer-relations model attracts major companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon, Siemens Energy, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris and Walmart directly to campus for tabling, information sessions, and networking events.

“Employers coming in to recruit STEM talent will work with us to get connected,” Sandifer says. “We help them get into the engineering atrium, set up information sessions, reach students through Handshake, and collaborate with CECS to spread the word.

“We want students to see a clear path from UCF to a career.”— Taylor Sandifer ’23MA, assistant director of employer relations in Career Services

“We want students to see a clear path from UCF to a career. When they put in the effort, and we can help make those connections, it all comes together.”

Sandifer has seen firsthand how transformative this can be.

“One computer science student (Nguyen) showed up on the wrong day — in a suit — but stayed anyway,” she recalls. “He came back the next day, met with recruiters, and we connected him with Deloitte & Touche. He ended up getting the job. His hard work and willingness to show up made the difference.”

Real World Ready

Nguyen credits the Dixon Career Development Center in helping him shape his career path.

“I wasn’t very prepared initially and had no idea where to even start. It was overwhelming just thinking about it,” he says. “I attended an event I found off Handshake and it turned into me getting resume reviews, mock interviews, and attending events that got me to meet employers I was passionate about joining.”

He took advantage of summer appointments, interview strategies, and also printed business cards to hand out to the company representatives at the Internship and Career Expo. Those efforts paid off with an opportunity at Deloitte — a place he was drawn to for its culture and its constant flow of new challenges.

His biggest takeaway from his experience with the Career Center is to be persistent and open to every opportunity.

“You never know what conversation you have with someone that could turn into a huge career opportunity,” he says.

The Spring 2026 Internship and Career Expo will take place on Tuesday, March 10. Learn more here.