More than 700 students submitted over 8,200 applications in this winter’s corporate recruiting cycle, and about 340 of these applications have so far resulted in interviews, said Monica Wilson, the Center for Professional Development’s associate director. Wilson said that employers will conduct around 1,000 interviews in total, with half taking place on campus and the other half via phone or Skype.
A new feature helped employers track interested students who are off campus and contact them for interviews. About 40 percent of the Class of 2015 is currently away from Hanover. Students have run into a few technical issues, however, as the system told some students they received a phone interview but they were not contacted by employers.
The Center for Professional Development sets two main deadlines to submit application materials during the term, on Jan. 14 and Jan. 26.
Employers then make interview decisions and notify students, giving applicants a certain amount of time between the notification and the interview. This applies particularly to off-campus interviews, for which employers must offer students two options to accommodate their schedules, Wilson said.
Most companies that recruit at the College are finance and consulting firms, as they have many alumni employees, but there are a growing number of companies in other fields, like marketing, technology, science and law, Wilson said.
Wilson said, however, that it is difficult to find time to seek out interested companies in new industries when many other organizations approach Dartmouth.
Andres Isaza ’15 said he decided to go through recruiting this term because it would allow him to try a job over the summer without committing to a post-graduation position. He applied for 20 positions and said that others apply for anything from four to 40.
To prepare for interviews and the process overall, Isaza said he had to craft a personal narrative and teach himself technical skills.
Grace Ma ’15, who went through summer recruiting, said that the process is easier in the winter because there are more available positions.
“Dartmouth is full of so many talented and fun people, so on every level, it’s hard to stand out, not only on the academic and work experience level but also just to be a personable person,” Ma said. “I think everyone here deserves a job, and it’s just hard to give everyone a job.”
Though many students undergo recruiting, Wilson stressed that it is only one option for job-seeking students.
“The recruiting program really represents a small, small fraction of employers and opportunities out there,” Wilson said. “You need to remember it is a service of convenience, but it’s certainly not the only way to secure a great opportunity.”
Isaza recommends that students planning to participate in recruiting take advantage of upperclassmen who have gone through the process, alumni and the Center for Professional Development.
