College Recruiter believes that every student and recent graduate deserves a great career. And a great stepping stone to a great career is often a great internship. But students are often frustrated by how to find an internship and, when they do find one of interest, how to apply, get interviewed, and get hired.

If you try to do everything all at once, it can be overwhelming. I like to break the process down into manageable, bite-sized pieces.

1. Don’t procrastinate. To use another cliche, early bird gets the worm. While I trust that you’d rather land a great internship than a great worm, the cliche is too well known and understood for me to pass up. Some internships, particularly those with non-profits and governmental agencies, have strict and sometimes very early deadlines. Looking for next summer? You might need to apply in November. As of the writing of this blog article on November 5, 2018, College Recruiter already had 1,795 internships advertised on its site and it is still a couple of months from January when employers start to get aggressive with advertising their internship opportunities.
2. Complete your CIV analysis. What’s a CIV, you ask? Competencies, interests, and values. Grab a piece of paper and draw two lines down it to divide the paper into three columns. Write competencies at the top of the first column, interests at the top of the second, and values at the top of the third. Now, under competencies, write down everything that other people would say you’re good at. In the second column, write down everything that you find to be interesting, In the third column, write down everything that you care about. Now look for themes. What are you good at that also interests you and which you care about? Those themes are where you should focus your career search.
3. Network. Many and probably most people think that networking is all about asking other for help. Wrong. It is about asking them how you can help them. That will build good karma and inevitably you’ll find that some — not all — will reciprocate by asking how they can help you. Take them up on the offer. Tell them about your CIV, where you want your career to start, and ask them for the names of two people you should talk with. Keep repeating that. After a few rounds of people referring you to people who refer you to people, you’ll likely run across someone who will decline to give you the two names, not because they’re a jerk but because they want to hire you. Bingo.
4. Job search sites. Almost every college career service office has a career website, but the vast majority of jobs which are of interest to students and recent graduates are never posted to those sites. Why? Most employers don’t know about them and they can be hard and time consuming to use. So, use those sites but don’t stop there. Also use job search sites like College Recruiter, which typically has about a million part-time, seasonal, internship, and entry-level jobs advertised on its site. Did I tell you that College Recruiter already has 1,795 internships advertised on its site? Oh, yeah, I did. Did you search them yet?
5. Attend career fairs. Quite frankly, I’m not a huge fan because the expectations of the employers are often poorly aligned with those of the students. Employer representatives typically attend career fairs because they’re coerced by their bosses, their career service office partners, or both. Their disinterest shows, and they make it worse by refusing to accept paper resumes and telling you to go to their career sites if you want to apply. You could have done that from home, right? But they’re great places to network (see #3) and learn what it is really like to work for a company if you happen to run across a representative who likes to talk and maybe isn’t as discrete as they should be.
6. Search and apply to jobs. Seems kind of obvious, right? But you’d be amazed at how many candidates don’t apply to enough jobs, apply to the wrong ones, or do a terrible job of applying the ones they are qualified for. If you’re an elite student at an elite school or otherwise have some exceptional qualities, aim high by applying to the most sought-after internships, such as 20 top internships listed below. For everyone else, and that’s almost everyone, the hard truth is that you’re just going to have to try harder. But, if it helps, remember the joke about what you call a doctor who graduates at the bottom of their class from a third-rate medical school. The answer is doctor. Most employers for most jobs feel the same way about interns and new grads. They care far more that you went to college than your major. They care far more about your major than your school. And they care far more about your school than your grades or whether you had a sexy internship or just successfully completed an internship, preferably for them.
7. Create a job. Whether it’s a gig employment opportunity driving folks around or doing their grocery shopping for them or starting a small business in college like I did, don’t discount this option. But if you find yourself uttering, “I just need a good idea”, move on. The good idea is the least of your problems. Executing that good idea is FAR harder and FAR less exciting.
8. Get experience. The entire point of an internship program for the employer is to convert those interns into permanent hires upon graduation. If they don’t, their internship program is a failure. Similarly, the entire point of interning is to get an offer to become a permanent employee upon graduation and then to accept that offer. If you don’t, your internship was a failure. Well, maybe not a complete failure, but not as much of a success as it should have been.

So, back to the top internship programs. What are they? I thought you’d never ask:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Microsoft
4. Tesla
5. Facebook
6. Goldman Sachs
7. Amazon
8. J.P. Morgan
9. SpaceX
10. The Walt Disney Company
11. Nike
12. Morgan Stanley
13. IBM
14. Deloitte
15. Berkshire Hathaway
16. Intel
17. ESPN
18. Mercedes-Benz
19. The Boston Consulting Group
20. Spotify

— Source: Vault

Author: Kate-Madonna Hindes

“Investing in entry-level workers creates greater job stability and more opportunities for advancement for employees, contributing to a more economically vibrant society.” (Rockefeller Foundation)

Every single day, new relationships are forming, and interns are turning into full-time employees. Across thousands of different companies, H.R. and recruiting departments are making long-term investments for maximum growth and profitability. Smart companies are taking note while searching for interns to see if they have the qualities they are looking for in full-time employees.

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Career Resources Specialist Laveda Joseph has been noticing that at Wake Technical Community College, her female students are often unaware of the gender inequality that exists in the “real” world. Despite recent momentum toward equal pay, and the #MeToo movement, Joseph doesn’t see awareness increasing on campus. Anne Tomkinson, Senior Manager of Human Resources and Operations at D.C. Public Charter School Board, shares Joseph’s passion for helping young women prepare for the realities of the workplace. That’s not to say they accept status quo. On the contrary—the advice they share here should help young women advocate for themselves, build their confidence, and understand how to react when faced with inequality.

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Andrew Marcotte knows how to improve the performance of entry-level retail employees. He is an HR Business Partner at Blain’s Farm and Fleet, a specialty discount retailer with 38 locations. Marcotte supports store operations and store management teams across all locations. He shared with us what they do to motivate, grow and develop entry-level employees and we have shared his insight below. Marcotte was selected as an official SHRM 2018 blogger.  Continue Reading

Nonprofit organizations have an enormous opportunity to polish their employer brands and really show them off to entry-level job candidates. To hear insight into employer branding mistakes and solutions at nonprofits, we interviewed Matt Kaiser, Director of Recruitment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Kaiser has a passion for improving the recruitment processes, uncovering a unique employer brand identity, and implementing ideas to improve the candidate experience and attract top talent. He will be a speaker at SHRM 2018, presenting “Pursuing Purpose in Building Your Brand.”

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An organization that retains its talent saves costs, to start with, in recruitment and training. It also likely has higher morale, which can lead to loyalty and more innovation. Creating a culture, however, that is highly welcoming and engaging enough to affect retention can be elusive. One of 2016’s top companies to work for includes Bozzuto, a real estate services organization. College Recruiter had the pleasure of speaking with Allison Lane, Director – Corporate Communications & Marketing at Bozzuto. She shared what their company does to make it a great place to work.

Put the time into listening and connecting to employees and all stakeholders

Above all, Allison says, “we put employees first.” That seems so simple. It means, however, that employees are more important than anything else. It takes empathy and patience. It also takes a lot of time to listen to your people.

Engaging all stakeholders are important too. That builds a culture of community and trust. Bozzuto makes sure that they connect in a meaningful way to job candidates, partners, and the residents of their properties. That level of engagement requires an investment, but when I asked Allison about how they measure ROI, she said they don’t have to. “Investing in our people is just part of our DNA.”

Establishing or changing anything about a company culture comes from the top, or at the very least, has true buy-in. For example, Bozzuto’s founder does regular site visits and meets with people in their environment. He believes in “managing by walking around.”

Technology can, and should, help connect people at the organization. For example, Bozzuto offers Bozzuto Voices, where any employee anywhere can comment, make a suggestion, praise someone else, etc. This sort of transparent communication can help build mutual trust with employees.

Hire for fit, and include all

While Bozzuto recruits for the right skills, they also look for cultural fit. Allison says, “If you’re not nice… you gotta be nice.” As for engaging Millennials, Allison brushes off the generational differences. Just engage people as individuals, she says. Don’t assume you know something about them because of their age.

Want to read more tips about creating an engaging culture, or recruiting entry-level talent in general? Stay in touch with College Recruiter on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Hiring now? College Recruiter is really good at helping organizations hire dozens, hundreds and even thousands of entry-level hires. 

The Association for Talent Acquisition Solutions (TATech) will host a fall conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 19-21, 2016. Peter Weddle, CEO of TATech, is excited to announce the conference and share information about the conference’s scope, purpose, and agenda with viewers in this video hosted by Bethany Wallace, Content Manager of College Recruiter. Bethany interviews Peter and Steven Rothberg, President and Founder of College Recruiter, who will present a session for talent acquisition leaders at the TATech 2016 Fall Conference & Expo.

If the video is not playing or displaying properly click here.

Peter Weddle explains that TATech is the global trade association for the talent acquisition solutions industry. It represents the for-profit enterprises and not-for-profit organizations that provide technology-based products and services for talent acquisition professionals, from applicant tracking system companies, job boards, and social media sites to mobile apps, recruitment advertising agencies, and cloud-based recruitment marketing platforms. Collectively, its members power or operate over 60,000 sites worldwide and provide state-of-the-art solutions services for virtually every facet of talent acquisition.

The purpose of the TATech 2016 Fall Conference & Expo is to provide cross-talk and information sharing between recruiters/talent acquisition professionals and vendors who provide products and services for talent acquisition professionals. Peter Weddle believes there is a lack of communication and interaction between these two groups of professionals, and that enabling employers and recruiters to get the information they need from their vendors will help them improve their return on investment.

Steven Rothberg, President of College Recruiter, hopes to help talent acquisition leaders improve their return on investment when working with vendors, too, and that is the scope of his presentation entitled, “Doing better deals: How to be a smart consumer of talent acquisition solutions.” In the past, many employers simply posted jobs and assumed the risk; either the jobs would perform well or not. However, with the solutions available to employers now via technology, employers should do their homework and understand the estimated return on investment associated with various types of advertising (banner advertising, email campaigns, pay per click, etc.).

Steven will cover this information in his presentation and believes it will empower talent acquisition professionals to make informed decisions regarding their college recruiting budgets. It will also help employers to negotiate better deals and to make cost comparisons between proposals from different vendors. He emphasizes that employers should negotiate with vendors and provide justification using metrics and pricing information using this type of cost comparison information.

Peter Weddle emphasizes the value of attending a conference like the TATech 2016 Fall Conference & Expo; there isn’t always an opportunity to visit face-to-face with owners of organizations like College Recruiter. In addition, TATech is offering free hotel accommodations at The Palms to those who register for the conference by June 15, 2016. Lastly, Peter mentions that the conference is truly a fun experience, featuring the 2016 Recruiting Service Innovation Awards (the ReSIs). Modeled after the Oscars, the awards are a red carpet, black tie optional celebration.

Be sure to follow our blog for more information about upcoming conferences and events for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Minneapolis, MN (April 7, 2015) — Interactive recruitment media company College Recruiter announced today that it was just named by Business.com as the best site for recruiters to advertise their entry-level job openings. In an article written by Sarah Landrum, Business.com wrote that the five best sites for recruiters to post their open positions and reach the talent they’re looking for are:

• College Recruiter – best job board for entry-level hires
• Craigslist — best job board for non-traditional positions
• Indeed — best all around job board
• The Ladders — best job board for executives
• VetJobs — best job board you didn’t know you needed

“We were honored to learn of the recognition,” said Faith Rothberg, chief executive officer of College Recruiter. “Business.com has been a well known and trusted brand for small- and medium-sized businesses to stay up-to-date on business industry news and trends and we’ve relied upon it many times when we’re researching companies we’re considering doing business with.”

According to the article, “[t]he way to recruit young talent is to go to where they are most often, and that’s online through numerous channels.” The problem that most employers face isn’t generating enough applications, but applications from the right candidates. In other words, quality is increasingly becoming more of an important factor to employers than quantity. “To solve the conundrum, try posting your open position on CollegeRecruiter.com. In addition to the standard job posting capabilities, College Recruiter offers packages for recruiters and businesses that include mobile and display advertising, targeted email campaigns and virtual career events, to name just a few.”

About College Recruiter

College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career. We believe in creating a great candidate and recruiter experience. Our interactive media solutions connect students and grads to great careers. College Recruiter is the leading, interactive, recruitment media company used by college students and recent graduates to find great careers. Our clients are primarily colleges, universities, and employers who want to recruit dozens, hundreds, or thousands of students and recent graduates per year.

About Business.com

Business.com is redefining the marketplace for business purchases by making it dramatically easier for buyers to discover, learn about, compare and buy the products and services they need to run and grow their businesses. Business.com has assembled a world-class team of developers, designers, digital media experts, and even a Ph.D. in Human Computer Interaction to identify the specific needs of active business buyers and improve how they use the Internet to make purchasing decisions.

2016 Weddle’s User’s Choice Awards

College Recruiter is proud to announce its selection for the ninth time, from 95 nominated sites amongst 100,000 international industry contenders, as a recipient of the 2016 Weddle’s User’s Choice Award.

Weddle’s, managed by founder Peter Weddle, the premier publisher of original, effective resources for job seekers, career activists, employers, recruiters, and employment sites, recently announced the winners of the 2016 User’s Choice Awards. Weddle’s 2016 User’s Choice Awards are the only recognition in the industry which allows users (including job seekers, employers, and talent acquisition leaders) the opportunity to select recipients.

One of the recipients was CollegeRecruiter.com, an interactive recruitment media company for college students and recent graduates searching for internships, entry-level jobs, part-time jobs, and other career opportunities.

“In today’s job market, knowing the leaders in the job board industry is crucial,” said WEDDLE’s Publisher Peter Weddle. “The 2016 Weddle’s User’s Choice Awards winners represent the industry all-stars. Equally as important, these professionals are selected directly by those who use those sites to find jobs and hire new employees, and they are the most discerning judges by far.”

Peter Weddle, Publisher of Weddle’s, with Faith Rothberg, CEO of College Recruiter

Faith Rothberg, CEO of College Recruiter, was thrilled to find out about College Recruiter’s selection as a recipient of the award.

“We’re honored to receive the Weddle’s User’s Choice Award in 2016. Having received the award nine times in a row makes us feel truly distinguished among other job boards, particularly those who work with talent acquisition leaders to provide entry-level job opportunities to college students and recent graduates. At College Recruiter, we’re very passionate about the user experience, and we continue to strive to improve year over year. We’re grateful to be acknowledged for our efforts in the industry and humbled to be the only award winner from amongst the many good sites targeted to students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs,” Faith stated.

At College Recruiter, we believe every student and recent graduate deserves a great career. We are committed to creating a quality candidate and recruiter experience. Our interactive media solutions connect students and graduates to excellent entry-level jobs and internships. Why not let College Recruiter assist you in the recruiting process?

At the 2016 National Association of Colleges and Employers Conference & Expo June 7-10 in Chicago, College Recruiter’s President and Founder Steven Rothberg will present a session for employers entitled “How to Benchmark Your University Relations Program in the Absence of Benchmarks.”

In this brief video hosted by College Recruiter’s Content Manager, Bethany Wallace, Rothberg explains why clear benchmarks in college recruiting do not often exist and helps define some potential solutions to this problem.

If the video is not playing or displaying properly click here.

Rothberg mentions that in the field of college recruiting, until recently, very few college recruiting programs had benchmarks. As a result, many college recruiting programs did not know if they were operating effectively. Some college recruiting programs are beginning to share their operations data and establish benchmarks, but there is still a lack of continuity across the industry.

For example, not all organizations define cost per hire the same way. If a recruiter travels, and the company does not factor in all travel costs and salary costs, as well as fees charged by the university, then the cost per hire estimate is inaccurate. Failure to accurately estimate costs affects overall budget estimates.

It’s also important to use benchmarks accurately in order to measure success in college recruiting and to give credit where credit is due. Rothberg cites his work with a client recently who was able to pinpoint the exact number of candidates who’d been hired as a result of working with the college recruiting team.

Benchmarking is not just about measuring your own success, Rothberg notes, but also about comparing your achievements to those of others in the field whose organizations are similar to yours and who are hiring similar types of candidates. Cooperating with other employers by sharing benchmarking data can help you reach goals. This is what Rothberg’s session at the 2016 NACE Conference & Expo will focus on.

Don’t forget to register for the 2016 NACE Conference & Expo. Follow College Recruiter’s blog for more information about best practices in college recruiting, and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.

At College Recruiter, we believe every student and recent graduate deserves a great career. We are committed to creating a quality candidate and recruiter experience. Our interactive media solutions connect students and graduates to excellent entry-level jobs and internships. Why not let College Recruiter assist you in the recruiting process?