For most juniors, the recruiting process begins during sophomore summer, when countless companies representing every part of the corporate spectrum visit campus and meet with students at information sessions and panel discussions. Career Services then holds workshops and resume review sessions to prepare their individual applications for the country's top firms.
Monica Wilson, assistant director of employer relations at Career Services, reminded students that recruiters do not exclusively hail from large corporations.
"I don't think there are as many students as we would like that know we represent a variety of sectors, such as non-profits," Wilson said.
Initially, students apply through the InterviewTRAK Online Recruiting System. This system, powered by MonsterTRAK, allows students to research employers, apply for positions and track the status of their submitted applications.
The complicated process, nerve-wracking enough for students on campus, is even more frustrating for students who are not on campus.
"I was on the Classics FSP in the fall and now I'm in New York City, so I missed out on the earlier corporate recruiting," Minkun Zhang '07 said.
Firms contact students whose applications they believe correspond with the company's philosophies and needs. These students are invited to an interview with company representatives at Dartmouth or off-campus at a major company site.
"Afterwards you'll be invited to an office located in a larger city -- New York, Boston or Washington, D.C., -- so my being in New York this term definitely makes it easier," Zhang said.
Once interviewing begins, students rely on their personal experience and critical thinking. Grueling interviews may last up to an hour with students being asked to assess and approach different situations and create corporate presentations. Companies then select a smaller pool of applicants to enter a second stage of interviewing, leading up to the final selection of interns.
If selected, students can end up on the fast-track to the corporate world. Sara Friesen '06 was offered a full-time job at Merril Lynch after interning with the company over the summer.
"A summer internship during junior year is a great way to get a job offer rather than going through senior recruiting," she said. "You're interested in the company so you're trying the employer out, but they also want to see what you can do."
While some assume the process is only for economics majors, this appears to be far from the truth. According to Wilson, companies seek students from a variety of different backgrounds. Julie Chang '07, a classics major and public policy minor, was initially wary that her areas of study wouldn't be appealing to corporate recruiters.
"At first I was a little apprehensive about applying because of my major," Chang said. But after attending a Goldman Sachs info session over the summer and meeting employees who had a wide variety of majors in college, Change said she felt more confident.
"Many students who do not have an economics major are reluctant to apply for a position on Wall Street. Yet, a lot of these corporate firms are looking for students who come from different backgrounds and majors, and can offer different perspectives," Wilson said.
Career Services, while playing the dominant role in corporate recruiting, is not the only organization that helps students find jobs. Women in Business, a Dartmouth group that exposes female students to careers in financial services, recently selected 25 students to visit the New York City offices of Goldman Sachs. This past week, students met with professionals and recruiters while shadowing personnel in several departments, and networked with Dartmouth alums
"The career fair earlier in the year and the Women in Business trip are great opportunities to explore recruiting," Oana Castu '07 said.
