Contrary to expectations in light of the current economic recession, each company in this summer's corporate recruiting process is expected to hire roughly the same number of students in 2008, according to Monica Wilson, associate director of employer relations at Career Services. Fourteen companies participated this summer, compared to approximately sixteen last year, Wilson said.
"I expect they will hire close to the same number of people, maybe a little less," she said. "What [companies] are saying is if they find the right people, they will make room for them, especially in an internship situation."
This year, 154 students submitted a total of 695 resumes, according to Wilson. Although 14 different companies accepted resumes for the July 7 deadline, only three Oliver Wyman, Bridgewater Associates and Deutsche Bank are conducting in-person interviews. The remaining firms will conduct interviews over the phone.
Last summer, 169 students participated in the corporate recruiting process, with 11 companies conducting interviews on campus, The Dartmouth previously reported. Approximately sixteen companies participated in the resume drop last year, Wilson estimated.
Budget constraints may explain why fewer firms may are offering on-campus interviews this year, she said.
"Many of them can't send someone here because of limited personnel or resources," she said. "Also, with the cancellation of direct flights to New York many of these firms are New York-based, and it would make for a longer trip."
Recruiters for companies conducting on-campus interviews have until July 15 to notify students to sign up for a meeting time on July 23 or 24, according to Career Services. All other firms have until July 28 to ask applicants to sign-up for phone interviews.
Companies participating in corporate recruiting this year represent similar fields as those in previous years, according to Wilson, although some, such as the Associated Press images department and Bonobos, a men's fashion company, were new. Wilson said she was surprised by how few applicants there were for internships in fields other than finance and consulting, which remain the most popular areas.
Career Services offered several workshops to help prepare students for the corporate recruiting process, including resume and cover letter reviews, Wilson said.
Numerous students said they took advantage of the tutorials offered by Career Services. Caroline Ward '11 knew the corporate recruiting process would be competitive, she said, so she submitted her cover letters and resume to be reviewed by Career Services and RWiT.
As in previous years, Career Services used DartBoard for the corporate recruiting process. DartBoard allows students to submit resumes and cover letters to employers, schedule interviews and view recruiting events on the Internet.
Career Services has advised students to prepare for a longer internship search process, according to Wilson, and also emphasized that corporate recruiting was only one way of obtaining an internship. She encouraged students to use databases of internships compiled by Career Services and consider options outside of finance and consulting.
Lilai Guo '11 took note of this advice, she said, by attending an information session on internships in the U.S. State Department sponsored by Career Services and the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding.
"I'm waiting to see how recruiting turns out, but I'm definitely keeping my options open," she said.
