Do companies not recruit on college campuses these days?

[GreatLakes]

Mine had both University wide career fairs as well as college specific fairs for the College of Business and Engineering. I am in grad school now and have a job but get notifications of on-campus recruiting a few times a year.

 

[aprilchem]

College professor here - we have lots of recruiting going on at my campus. Students who have jobs lined up prior to graduation tend to be STEM majors, pre-service teachers, political science majors, or other majors where there are jobs available. If you major in a humanities field you're likely to work outside of your major area or wait a bit to get a job, because there aren't as many jobs available.

 

[kaseyC]

My DD graduates in May. She started working in her chosen field as an intern the summer of her freshman year. She continued with nice internship the following summers as well based on recommendations from connections she made from her first internship. At the end of last summer's internship the company made her an offer which she accepted. She was very fortunate because the company she will be working for does not recruit from small private colleges like the one she attends. Most of the other interns in the program last summer were from bigger well known state schools with prestigious Business schools.

 

[cabanafrau]

Is our economy as expansive as it was when you graduated from college, OP, or is there perhaps more worldwide competition? A bachelor's degree is becoming more and more akin to what a high school diploma was back in the day.

 

[morgan98]

I have always worked in public accounting (CPA firms). We basically ONLY recruit new hires off of campuses at our targeted universities. The chance of getting a first year associate job not through campus recruiting is basically zero. (This changes of course with experienced hires).

This is something that varies greatly by industry.

For the record, there are generally not enough high GPA CPA candidates to fill the outstanding positions. Good students get multiple internship offers which translate into full time offers, usually as well.

 

[bcla]

I have always worked in public accounting (CPA firms). We basically ONLY recruit new hires off of campuses at our targeted universities. The change of getting a first year associate job not through campus recruiting is basically zero. (This changes of course with experienced hires).

This is something that varies greatly by industry.

For the record, there are generally not enough high GPA CPA candidates to fill the outstanding positions. Good students get multiple internship offers which translate into full time offers, usually as well.

I've seen this. I used to have a part-time and summer job working in downtown San Francisco at 333 Market Street. That's where Cooper & Lybrand used to have their local offices. We'd see large groups of college aged kids waiting in the lobby for their en masse interviews. They also seemed to wear the same "uniform" which was a navy blue suit (women wore skirts). The student with a gray suit stuck out like a sort thumb.

 

[morgan98]

I've seen this. I used to have a part-time and summer job working in downtown San Francisco at 333 Market Street. That's where Cooper & Lybrand used to have their local offices. We'd see large groups of college aged kids waiting in the lobby for their en masse interviews. They also seemed to wear the same "uniform" which was a navy blue suit (women wore skirts). The student with a gray suit stuck out like a sort thumb.

This was me in Fall 1992! But not in San Francisco. We have also come a long way with the dress code. Suits in general are much more rare and jeans are almost becoming common.

 

[arminnie]

arminnie did you attend Stanford? My DS is a freshman there now. He just finished his first quarter before winter break, and he loves it there. He says there are always recruiters on campus. He is looking for an internship this summer, but kind of hoping he can get something close to home in Michigan.

I know a few recent college graduates who have found work. It's just not their ideal job or their dream job. I think a lot of them may just be holding out for the perfect position.

I got my undergraduate degree at Newcomb College, the women’s college of Tulane University. I got my MBA at Stanford.

I hope your son is loving his experiences at Stanford.

 

[wvjules]

I have worked for 2 of the Big 4 and I know both do on campus recruiting. (I'm also 100% positive the 2 that I haven't worked for do too, as well as other smaller national firms.) I did recruiting for my 1st Big 4 employer at my Alma mater. I haven't yet had a chance to do recruiting for my new employer but I do know that they definitely do it.

I think on campus recruiting is not for all majors. I think up thread someone mentioned STEM and also finance/accounting. I am not sure but I don't think there are a lot of recruiters for English, History, or other like majors.

BTW, I love the "dress for your day" that is becoming more common. Unfortunately I usually work at the client site but on days when I do go to the office you can bet I'll be in jeans.

 

[soccerdad72]

For the record, there are generally not enough high GPA CPA candidates to fill the outstanding positions. Good students get multiple internship offers which translate into full time offers, usually as well.

My wife is having a harder and harder time each year to get new staff (specifically audit) to stay more than a year or two. Not to stereotype, but it appears that the current generation doesn't have any desire to do 'busy season' hours.

 

[dosekies]

At least the school I graduated from, it greatly depended on your major. The School of Business, for example, definitely had their fair share of students who had jobs lined up prior to graduation. Other majors, though, didn't get those same opportunities based on either professors not putting as much effort in, not needing internships, or choosing not as big of a major. Our school did hold one large job fair during the year, but it definitely did not guarantee a job. Many internships don't guarantee jobs either - I had two internships with small companies in which they couldn't offer full time positions to anyone. Many people also do not apply for positions if they seem unrealistic - the amount of positions I came across that were 'starting positions' but asked for 5-10 years experience or ridiculous requirements was astounding!

As a 25 year old recent graduate, I do think that some graduates have too high of expectations. I remember in one of my classes senior year a professor asked if anyone would take a job right out of college for a 30k salary - I was literally the only person who raised my hand. I'm currently in my 3rd year at a job that has nothing to do with my major, but after many applications to jobs within my major I branched out and landed this position which is great so far, but the pay definitely wouldn't work if I was single and trying to live alone. Do kids have too high of salary expectations? FOR SURE. My younger brother graduated last year and was convinced he would be making the big bucks right away. But I think at least a small part of that can be justifiable in a college student's mind just because of how expensive the cost of living can be and they might not really know any better.

 

[cabanafrau]

My wife is having a harder and harder time each year to get new staff (specifically audit) to stay more than a year or two. Not to stereotype, but it appears that the current generation doesn't have any desire to do 'busy season' hours.

Doesn't have to be viewed through the lens of a stereotype, could simply be a generational shift of priorities that values things like work/life balance or is taking stock of the idea that worker bees are expendable in today's corporate climate/economy.

 

[soccerdad72]

Doesn't have to be viewed through the lens of a stereotype, could simply be a generational shift of priorities that values things like work/life balance or is taking stock of the idea that worker bees are expendable in today's corporate climate/economy.

Possibly, I suppose. I know the frustration for my wife is the time, effort and expense put into recruiting, hiring and training goes to waste when after a year or so, they decide it's not for them. And everyone is totally upfront about what the job entails so there shouldn't be any surprise when they get in the middle of an 80-hour week.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have always worked in public accounting (CPA firms). We basically ONLY recruit new hires off of campuses at our targeted universities. The change of getting a first year associate job not through campus recruiting is basically zero. (This changes of course with experienced hires).

This is something that varies greatly by industry.

For the record, there are generally not enough high GPA CPA candidates to fill the outstanding positions. Good students get multiple internship offers which translate into full time offers, usually as well.

Dd22 graduated with a 3.9 (one b), and with a masters of accounting at a very large business school. She did an inteship her junior year, and they gave her a job offer equal to a big 4 offer (but a firm with only employees). She was going to start in January, but decided to wait until she gets her CPA (passed the first, studying for the second). She interned in the spring, and got to experience crunch time. DH didn’t think she should’ve accepted her first offer so early, but she really enjoyed her time there.

 

[iivye]

My wife is having a harder and harder time each year to get new staff (specifically audit) to stay more than a year or two. Not to stereotype, but it appears that the current generation doesn't have any desire to do 'busy season' hours.

Doesn't have to be viewed through the lens of a stereotype, could simply be a generational shift of priorities that values things like work/life balance or is taking stock of the idea that worker bees are expendable in today's corporate climate/economy.

I spent 10 years as a CPA in a public accounting performing audits before taking a controller job two years ago for one of our large manufacturing clients. The main reason I left was tax season hours/work/life balance. We still use the same firm for audits and we have had a new audit team every year because they can't keep people. It seems to be a mix of people not wanting the long hours so they go private or CPA's are in such demand here that it is easy for them to find another firm that pays more.

ETA: My daughter is in high school now and I keep telling her that accounting is the way to go if she wants a job right out of college. Of course, she hates numbers and wants to pursue something else.

 

[bcla]

This was me in Fall 1992! But not in San Francisco. We have also come a long way with the dress code. Suits in general are much more rare and jeans are almost becoming common.

Well - I remember one time my company was getting a regular audit (required by our investors), and a bunch of PwC accountants were at our work site looking over the books. They were generally dressed pretty well. The women were still wearing skirts and the men khakis. This was maybe 2008.

I'm in the electronics industry, and my first interview for a part-time job in grad school the interviewers were all wearing jeans. With one interviewer I could even see underwear showing out the back with a short top. I showed up in a suit. It wasn't titillating or anything, but I was thinking they must be really lenient in what they allow employees to wear to work. Then I had a job interview on the East Coast where all men wore dress shirts and trousers, although ties seemed to be optional. I guess the oddest interviewer "uniform" I've ever seen was a guy who didn't interview me, but was at a mass interviewing event. I found out from another candidate that she knew him from MIT. He was wearing a tie-dye T-shirt and shorts and his hair was in a Hare Krishna style ponytail. Even as a graduate of UC Berkeley I found the entire package a little bit unusual.

In recent years when I've interviewed I wear khakis and a Polo-style shirt. Maybe 20 years ago I wore a tie to an interview, and a manager told me I had to take it off since it was making him feel uncomfortable.

 

[kamik86]

With unemployment at a 50 year low, it makes no sense to me that a College Graduate has to wait months or years for a job. Their "dream" job maybe, but a job, no way.
Yes, my company sends managers to Colleges to recruit, USC most recently, and Professional conferences. Our owners offer a fellowship program where recent College Graduates are given a paid position and places at a location for a year. We even started offering PAID Internships to get people in the door....we've had one person hired, he lasted week. He went to work at Chick Fil A for $5 hour more! I did all my internships for College Credit only.
My wife's company also sends managers out to recruit. They too have a fellowship program through their owner, and they have been offering students jobs 2 and 3 months before they graduate.

We currently have 20 jobs open in my department, we have 88 authorized positions, so a big chunk of our jobs are open. Some open for over 2 years. Job applicants, especially those right out of College, seem to have salary and benefit expectations that exceed what we offer.

My college required us to have 4 3 month (or 2 6-month) internships that had to be paid to graduate. I don't know if some had a lot of trouble finding these but I know I didn't. I actually did 3 6-month ones just because of how my classes fell. Even when I graduated 10 years ago though some majors were very likely to have a job before graduation (computer science, anything with engineering in the title) and some (general business majors being the first one that comes to mind) were much less likely

My company is another one that is having trouble recruiting though. Its a combination of the area (we have much better luck getting those 5 years+ in, because this area has no nightlife and is far from major cities. Great if you want a safe place to raise kids, but horrible for many others) and just the competition to get certain talent from certain majors.

 

[iivye]

Our manufacturing company went to a local private college to recruit for a human resources position. The college would only post a notice on the school message board and we did not receive one resume. There must be lots of jobs where I live for us not to get one response. We ended up having to go through a head hunter to fill the position and we are talking about a $75,000 starting salary and great benefits. I was shocked.

 

[georgina]

We currently have 20 jobs open in my department, we have 88 authorized positions, so a big chunk of our jobs are open. Some open for over 2 years. Job applicants, especially those right out of College, seem to have salary and benefit expectations that exceed what we offer.

But if they can get a higher salary/benefits elsewhere, perhaps it's not that their expectations are unreasonable but rather your offers are too low.

 

[bcla]

Dd22 graduated with a 3.9 (one b), and with a masters of accounting at a very large business school. She did an inteship her junior year, and they gave her a job offer equal to a big 4 offer (but a firm with only employees). She was going to start in January, but decided to wait until she gets her CPA (passed the first, studying for the second). She interned in the spring, and got to experience crunch time. DH didn’t think she should’ve accepted her first offer so early, but she really enjoyed her time there.

My wife went through getting a CPA license, so I've been through that. I know that the tests can be taken by anyone with the educational qualifications, but at least in California it required certain hours of experience in addition to passing the tests. She hasn't really used it though, but it's something she can put on her resume. And I was with her when she went to one of her old employers trying to account for how many hours of experience. She had enough hours with this one employer, but had to go though all the records. Apparently there was also work for another employer, but she didn't want to go dig up those files if there was enough time with just one employer. It was weird too. They had a meeting and asked my wife if she could answer the phone for 15 minutes.