Book It

If you can't find qualified workers, perhaps it's time you scouted the local university. College campuses are teeming with smart, soon-to-be grads eager to make their fortunes in the big, bad, "real" world.

And companies are taking advantage. A 1999 study by National Corporate College Consultants (NC3), an outsource provider of college recruiting services in Westport, Connecticut, found that the number of companies recruiting at colleges increased 40 percent in the last five years.

Campus recruiting isn't just for big corporations, though. Quite the contrary, says Mike Iserson, president of NC3. "Today's students are looking for environments where they can have a greater impact and add to their skill base more rapidly than with a large company," he says. "Because of this, small to midsized companies have the jobs that are most in demand."

Ready to try? Internship programs and summer employment are the best ways to start to gain exposure on campuses.

Ellen Paris is a Washington, DC, writer and former Forbes magazine staff writer.

Next step

For information about on-campus recruiting, visit the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Web site at Job-Applications.com or call (800) 544-5272. The group links employers with colleges and universities. Members include more than 1,700 colleges and universities and 1,600 employer organizations.

Contact Source

National Corporate College Consultants, (203) 226-7027, www.nc3.com