Over 445 college engineering students were introduced to the aftermarket industry’s numerous career opportunities during the two career fairs hosted by the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and SEMA Garage.
The career fairs at the SEMA Garage in Detroit, Michigan, and Diamond Bar, California welcomed engineering students from 36 schools and 33 SEMA member companies.
The career fair is part of ETTN’s and SAE’s shared goal of connecting future engineers and automotive students with the industry’s current workforce. During the event, participating businesses shared advice and career opportunities with students looking to jumpstart their automotive careers, as well as provided feedback to students actively building vehicles for SAE collegiate design competitions.
Both career fairs not only helped emerging talent showcase their skills but also provided SEMA members an opportunity to meet potential job candidates, increase their brand awareness, and connect with the greater aftermarket community.
“This event provides aftermarket companies with a unique opportunity to connect face-to-face with hundreds of students in one single location,” said ETTN Director Nicole Bradle. “Unlike an online job board or career fair for various industries, this event is tailored to the automotive aftermarket, making it a prime opportunity for companies to recruit emerging talent early on in their careers.”
For Luka Belsito, attending the ETTN/SAE career fair helped him achieve his dream job at Wilwood Engineering. Belsito met recruiters from Wilwood at the 2024 career fair, later accepted a job with the company, and returned to the 2025 career fair as a Wilwood employee. “We love seeing all these students bring their cars here. It’s fantastic seeing all the different sorts of engineering and being able to talk with them,” he said.
Launched in 2022, the ETTN/SAE career fair remains a collaborative environment where graduating engineering students, SEMA member companies, SEMA staff, ETTN volunteers, and SAE staff can engage over a shared passion for innovation.
"Partnering with SEMA has created a unique opportunity for SAE students to discover career paths that they might not have known existed,” said Dean Case of SAE SoCal and Motivo. "The overwhelming interest in this program shows that the future is bright for the automotive aftermarket.”
To learn more about the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) and how you can get involved, visit www.sema.org/ettn.