Entry by Pat Patterson
If you plan on hiring interns for the summer of 2011, plan to begin recruiting soon if you have not started already. As a general rule of thumb, employers should begin recruiting for an internship six months in advance of its start date to allow for a large candidate pool.
Collaborating with high schools, colleges, and universities, is one of the best, most common ways to recruit interns. Indiana high schools, colleges, and universities offer many opportunities for intern recruiting on campus. Employers may participate in career/internship fairs, conduct presentations, perform on-campus interviewing and/or get involved with various career services sponsored events. It may be best to target two to three schools in close proximity with academic programs that match your ideal criteria.
Employer Presentations
Presenting on campus is a convenient way for students to learn about your organization and its job openings – both internship and full-time positions, as well as affords you the chance to market your company to a large audience. Recruiters can meet interested students and answer potential applicants’ questions. Additionally, on-campus presentations boost interest in your organization before career/internship fairs and hopefully encourage more students to apply for your positions.
To conduct a campus presentation, employers should contact career services offices directly. Direct links to all career services offices in the state can be found at www.workandlearnindiana.com/university_list.asp.
Career/Internship Fairs
At career/internship fairs employers can market their organization and its opportunities to students, collect resumés/applications from interested students, and pre-screen potential candidates. Most career/internship fairs require organizations purchase booth space to advertise available internship and full-time positions and distribute marketing materials.
A benefit of career/internship fairs is that recruiters may interact with many students at one time. On the whole, career and internship fairs are reasonably priced, with many offering free or discounted rates for non-profit organizations. Moreover, most colleges and universities allow employers to conduct interviews on campus after the fair in order to follow up with their top applicants from the event.
To get involved with career/internship fairs, visit www.workandlearnindiana.com/events.asp to view a list of upcoming events statewide.
