JOB RECRUITMENT: Businesses Must Form Strong Relationships with Colleges and Universities

There's hope for college graduates as they embark upon what is perhaps the most daunting quest of their lives: landing their first professional job. The search for employment is no longer a one-way street.

Whether it's through internships, academic career development and placement services or

According to Sharon Rosengart, director of career development and advisement for William Paterson University (WPU), Wayne, internships, cooperative education and other experiential. learning arrangements are many businesses' entree into a college or university. "Internships tie into all the other types of relationships and networking opportunities that students can have with employers," she explains. WPU has placed students at companies ranging from Whitehouse Stationbased Merck & Co, Inc. to Livingston-based Wiss & Company.

Career development offices stress the importance of students acquiring at least one internship to boost their work experience and knowledge of an industry; and it's mutually beneficial because the employer may hire that intern upon graduation.

"Employers [should] invest in developing internships and cooperative education arrangements with colleges, because then businesses become part of this developmental process forstudents," says Dr. Jennifer Jones, director of career planning and placement at New Jersey City University (NJCU), Jersey City. "And once they graduate, employers already know the quality of what the candidates can do." NJCU has placed students at companies such as Goldman Sachs and Schering Plough.

While internships are a traditional way for businesses to recruit, colleges and universities throughout the state are relying more and more on technological advancements to assist their graduates in the job search - and the Internet provides a wealth of opportunities for businesses to actively recruit. While perusing the classifieds and submitting resumes via "snail mail" were once the only ways for students to reach employers, today the Internet has come to dominate all facets of the recruitment process.

"Many of the tools that people used 10 or 15 years ago are still there: employment agencies, newspapers, networking or sending resumes through the mail," explains William Hill, assistant dean of placement and student employment for Monmouth University, West Long Branch. "But the way people access them has changed instead of buying a newspaper, you might log onto a Website; instead of going to an agency, you might e-mail them your resume." Monmouth has successfully assisted recruiters from businesses such as The Borgata and ADP.

"Things have changed quite a bit," adds Dr. Andrew Raleigh, college of management technology for Berkeley College, West Paterson. "[Most] companies now want students to use the employment section on their Websites and match their own skill levels to the job openings."

Some universities are utilizing technology at an even higher level to assist businesses with recruiting. According to Jim Brown, executive director of WPU's Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales, employers can interview students on campus in behavioral labs equipped with digital imaging. cameras, and retain a copy of the DVD. Students also have the opportunity to prepare their own "e-portfolio," which captures them selling and negotiating on a DVD. "In an interview, a student can give the potential employer their e-portfolio and ask, 'would you like to see me in action?' - and the DVD can go right into the computer," Brown explains.

Though technology has improved the recruitment process, neither the students, nor the businesses, are alone in their searches. Career development and placement support centers themselves are still the main avenue for potential employers to reach out to graduating students and vice versa.

"It's always great for employers to work with the career center staff, because we will pre-screen based on employer requirements," NJCU's Jones says. "The final selection for interviewing is always up to them. But it helps us to understand- who they're targeting."

The centers assist both entities in networking with each other, which is still, they argue, the most, important element in the recruitment process. "Networking is how most jobs are found," insists Gregory Mass, executive director of career development services for New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Newark. "The earlier a student begins to network with a company through coops, job fairs, informational interviews, information sessions and internships, the better it is for both the student and the employer.

Academic career planning services and other university departments continue to do whatever they can to better prepare graduating students - and, certainly, help make them a more attractive recruit for businesses. "We start them off with a course called Placement Seminar ... it's an advantage not only for the students, but for employers," Berkeley's Raleigh explains. "It teaches students all the 'dos and don'ts,' things to expect, how to interview, et cetera."

Recent technological advancements to the traditional job search have also taken the form of software, such as MonsterTrak, which allows businesses to post entry-level job openings and students to submit their resumes. Often, both students and employers are exposed to such software through a college 'or university's career development office.

"We have a special contract with MonsterTrak to help facilitate the placement process," Jones explains. "In addition to faxing or e-mailing us a job description, an employer can go on-line and put in a job order, and students can put their resume into the site - and they both can query the system."

Many colleges and universities also host their own online job banks. "Employers can register for an account with us - and there's no fee," explains Debra Stark, assistant director for Ramapo College's career development and placement support, Mahwah. "They can post positions and our students and alumni are welcome to peruse it."

The Internet is a useful tool; however, businesses merely interacting with potential recruits on-line can be largely ineffective and too impersonal. All career development offices emphasize the value of businesses taking the time to actually visit college campuses.

One of the best ways employers can network with students on campus is through participation in job fairs. Most colleges and universities throughout the state host at least one job fair each year, in which they contract with multiple companies to set up tables, collect resumes and speak with students on campus.

"[Job fairs] help employers judge the tangibles that they can't discern from a resume ... such as a student's presence, his or her attitude, verbal communication skills, ability to handle stress, et cetera." Monmouth's Hill says. "Employers often talk about a student being a good 'fit' for the company ... and while you can get some of that from a resume or online, until the person is standing in front of you and you're getting those signals, you really don't know."

Ramapo's Stark adds, "We usually have around 70 employers at our job fairs, with 600 students walking around, so it's a great opportunity for the employer not only to meet students, collect resumes and get a sense of the institution, but to get their name out there ... and have a continued presence."

In fact, most career development offices insist that an employer establishing that presence on campus is the best strategy they can take in recruiting upcoming graduates. "Despite all the technology that's available, word-of-mouth is still a very strong marketing tool," Hill explains. "I hope the Internet never completely eliminates the need or desire on the part of employers to meet face-to-face with prospective candidates."

A company that takes the steps to establish a presence on campus will eventually form alliances with faculty, the career development office and students to become a well-known entity on campus. Hill advises businesses to support colleges and universities not only by participating in job fairs, but by visiting classrooms, sponsoring lectures, volunteering, as mentors, becoming active in alumni networks, and making connections with faculty.

"That will help them attract the best candidates," he explains, "because students will go to the firms and organizations that are well-known and have the best reputation on campus ... not to an employer they know nothing about."

"Our employers come on campus not just to do recruiting the job fair and career events - but to help mentor and support our students in their job search," adds Stark.

Many institutions develop their Own programs to spur interaction between their students and partnering businesses. Mass notes that NJIT, which has placed graduates at companies like New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson, initiated a Recruitment Partner program four years ago to engage their most active recruiters. "It has paid great benefits in keeping businesses and students connected," he insists.

Colleges and universities throughout the state also host informational sessions on campus that bring representatives from companies in a particular industry to address the students in a panel format. Stark adds, "We [also] invite professionals to talk to students about interviewing, career opportunities in the government or opportunities in non-profit or international organizations."

Ramapo's Cahill Center for Experiential Learning and Career Services established its own advisory council in 2003 designed specifically to facilitate interaction between the college and local corporate and agency partners - and consequently bridge the gap between students and businesses in the Garden State.

"[The board] helps us with recruitment and job development ideas; developing contacts and networking; making recommendations and advising [for] new experiential learning projects; and serving as liaisons between the Cahill Center and the outside community," explains Donna Kauder, director of the center's corporate development program and assistant director of collaborative education.

Ramapo also has on-campus recruitment, Stark notes, in which a particular company can hold an information session, speak to students in the appropriate major, collect their resumes and conduct initial interviews on campus.

Flora M. Stowe, director of career services for College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), Morristown, notes that the New Jersey Association of Colleges and Employers is an organization that can make a significant difference in bringing students and employers together.

"As a member, I have the opportunity to work collectively with other universities and career directors that share the same goals," she explains. "We troubleshoot, respond to employment trends and gain a lot of feedback from our member employers. They'll tell us what they're looking for, when they're looking to hire or what students need [to improve upon]." CSE has placed students at companies in a variety of industries in the state, ranging from Morristown Memorial Hospital to Century 21.

WPU's Rosengart adds that businesses can even reach potential job recruits through participation in activities with campus clubs and organizations, such as student government, or the Greek life system. "We'll give employers the names of presidents of different organizations so they can reach out and talk about partnering for activities," she says.

"A recruiter from a large bank could speak to the student finance club once or twice a year, or make a connection with a finance professor to speak to a class," Hill adds.

Career development offices often utilize the assistance of businesses for different types of programming they run. While the offices hold their own workshops and meetings to prepare upcoming graduates to enter the workforce, "we often invite business representatives to perform workshops in writing resumes, the job search or interview skills," Rosengart explains.

Sponsoring scholarships can also make a difference when it comes time for businesses to recruit the best candidates. "A lot of our students have to work, and if we have scholarships for them, they're working less hours and getting better grades," Jones explains. "And that means a better prepared person at graduation."

Colleges and universities can also apply for grant money with some businesses to help improve career development activities.

Ultimately, it seems all representatives involved with career development services at local colleges and universities can't stress enough the value of businesses actively recruiting students in ways beyond the traditional - and away from the computer.

"I do believe that businesses will see a greater success in [recruiting] if they form relationships with neighboring colleges early on," CSE's Stowe says. "By becoming more involved, they'll see more of the personality and characteristics of the university's students."

"The stronger the presence businesses have on campus, the better they will do with recruiting," Rosengart concludes. "The businesses and organizations whose names are heard all over the place are more accepted by the students - and that's the key."