Okay, so now let's take a look at our final 4 relationships and see what we can do to become more successful in recruiting on campuses and Universities.

Newspapers

This is an important relationship as well. Prior to the fair, advertising is key to let students know you are coming. Also take advantage of the fair packages they have and the commonly known “Career Fair Guide” that is usually separate from the normal paper or comes as an insert. This is a great way to get some exposure and promote your info session to invite all to come and see what you are about. One of the most critical uses of the campus newspaper is the thank you note.

What is that you ask?

Well, the Friday at the end of the week of the career fair, or the following Monday you want to put a special advertisement in the paper. I find Mondays are better because more and more campuses these days have no classes on Fridays, so you will want to learn about this at your particular school.

At any rate, it is the “Thank You” Letter that is quite unique. What I have done in the past is had the CEO write a thank you letter to the campus and sign it (actually I usually write the letter that gets approved and signed). This becomes a full page advertisement and just thanks students and faculty for a great career fair this semester (or year) and for welcoming your company as a guest on their campus. You will be surprised the effect this will have on those that read the paper. Again, doing things that stand out and are out of the norm cause the buzz you want and need. And most importantly, it just shows an extra element of professionalism by saying thank you.

Professors

Professors are your advocates with the students. Take them out to lunch. Take them out to dinner. Network, network, network. There are two main reasons for this.

Reason #1 - The first reason is that the professors you want to build relationships are those in the field in which you are seeking for students. Building the network, letting them know who you are, and answering questions they will have about your organization will help in creating a relationship that will extend to the students that they teach. Be prepared to speak about your organization with excitement and enthusiasm. Plus they can give you insider information that will allow you to find the best students. They can make recommendations and make internal announcements to classes filled with students looking for an organization such as your own.

Reason #2- You can do a presentation in their class. Well maybe not you personally (though I have done this very thing), but how about individuals within your organization in the departments you are hiring for? Not only does this expose students to those they would be working with, but your managers, VPs, etc can interact and meet students that they may think are exceptional. There have been a few times where our CEO taught the entire class based on knowledge within our industry that related 100% with the subject for teaching. This may not occur in the week that you are there for the fair, but it may be worth the trip later on.

Clubs

These, as I said, are the most untapped resources of all. Depending on the positions that you have open, finding a specific club can be fairly easy. Career services, professors, and the students themselves can point you in the right direction. usually one of the professors leads the club anyway, so you may have relationships with the right people already. Then there is a student who is in charge of running the club. Keep in mind that some club leaders can change every semester, so you need to stay on top of this resource. This is where those same individuals who could present in class (in case this is not an option) you can now present to students in a club specifically designed around the role you are looking to fill. Obviously you do not want any of these presentations to be a plug for your company. Disseminate information first and establish credibility and value. Do this and the questions later will come about your company. For now, give them value. It’s just like sales: show the customer the value first and they will come to you because they see you as an expert. That’s when it is time to “sell” the company because they will be asking for it. Or invite them to the info session to learn more.

Alumni

And now finally, alumni. Again, if you have not signed up with your alumni association, you are missing out on probably one of the most valuable resources campuses can have. I mean let’s face it. Often times we only see campuses as great places to find young inexperienced people. But if all of our roles only required those minimum requisites, it would be all too easy! So building a relationship with the alumni network is huge. Not only do they have similar services (like they do for undergrads and grads), but some campuses have searchable resumes for alumni and an active job board for alumni to search and always be in touch with their Alma Mater network. If you are not in that network as well, you may be missing out on a higher paying career! Just don’t let your employer know I was the one who told you. Another benefit is that many alumni associations even have local “chapters” so that grads who live near you may have activities and such that you can participate in to build your local network as well.

Conclusion

So there you have it. There may be more to add as I continue to learn and grow in University recruiting. My hope is that this will help you get started. In the future, I may even upload files that I use and sample letters, ads, etc to help facilitate the brainstorming that goes into play to make your visit a profitable one for your organization.