Carnegie Mellon University
February 10, 2011

News Brief: Recruiting Revival

With less than 100 days until commencement, job and internship seekers in Carnegie Mellon University's Class of 2011 have many reasons to be optimistic about their post-graduation plans.

This fall, employers responding to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2011 survey reported plans to hire 13.5 percent more bachelor's degree graduates from the Class of 2011 than they did from the Class of 2010. The Wall Street Journal also named Carnegie Mellon graduates among the top 10 recruiter picks, and No. 1 for computer science graduates.

Employer participation in the university's annual Employment Opportunities Conference (EOC), set for Feb. 10, has expanded to 167 organizations, a 12 percent increase over the 149 organizations that participated in 2010.

The increase in recruiter participation reflects our comprehensive approach to employer outreach," said Wesley Thorne II, the Career and Professional Development Center's director of employer relations. "This year, our staff gathered student input and reached out to many employers who had not participated in the EOC before."

Students expressed interest in meeting more recruiters from nonprofit organizations, government agencies and arts groups in addition to employers from traditionally popular business and technology sectors.

Organizations attending the EOC for the first time include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nielsen, Bridgewater Associates, Lexmark International, Box.net, Navistar and Shutterfly, among many others.

In addition, the CPDC and the University of Pittsburgh's Career Development Office worked together this year to strategically plan spring semester career fairs for back-to-back dates. Thorne said they hoped employers would find the opportunity to recruit top students from both universities in one trip attractive, especially considering the recession's affect on travel and recruiting budgets.

Abby Houck