Any effort made prospective employers to recruit students from their college campuses, usually prior to graduation, is referred to as campus recruitment. Employers use campus recruitment to recruit and screen students for a variety of jobs, including internships and full-time positions. Small events sponsored one or a few industry representatives are sometimes used to recruit. In other cases, the school and industry work together to host campus-wide job fairs that draw a large number of potential employers. Businesses are the most active recruiters on campus, but the government, graduate schools, and non-profit organizations also participate.
In 2011, graduates in specific fields, particularly technical fields, are in short supply. This type of recruiting is used potential employers to attract the best and brightest. Students at schools with strong reputations in specific fields are especially sought after, and recruiting efforts at these schools are frequently intense.
Recruiters look for students who are about to graduate, but they are also interested in connecting with advanced undergraduates and graduate students who have at least one year of school left, as interns are frequently sought after. Internships are beneficial to students because they provide hands-on experience and valuable contacts. Employers benefit as well, as they gain access to low-cost skilled labor as well as information on which students to hire for long-term positions.
Campus recruitment strategies differ depending on the field. Typically, they combine advertising and screening. In order to pique student interest, industry representatives throw parties, provide snacks and dinners, put on shows to pique student curiosity, and distribute swag. Job fairs bring together a large number of students as well as recruiters. Recruiters compete for the attention of promising candidates during good years. During lean times, the opposite is true, and recruiters only choose the most promising candidates.
A formal interview process concludes campus recruitment, and schools frequently have facilities where employers can interview students. Students may go through the entire interview and hiring process before receiving their diplomas, especially in years when demand for new graduates outnumbers supply, and some students may even receive job offers prior to graduation.