Connecting with students and recent graduates about opportunities is not an easy task. An overflow of opportunities hit a student’s inbox every day. Even if a company does manage to reach a student, nurturing a meaningful relationship with them is not easy either. Info sessions and dinners can feel artificial, and small talk can feel forced and arbitrary. Overall, these means of connecting with students rarely lead to discussion of anything past “the wonderful corporate culture” or the school’s basketball team.

A more productive way of forming meaningful connections with students is through experiential recruiting. With experiential recruiting, students can work on real assignments, learn about company culture first-hand, and have the opportunity to ask more in depth questions about a job or an industry. From a company’s perspective, through experiential recruiting, hiring managers can fully assess a student’s fit within the company by evaluating their work and attitude, rather than basing fit off of a transcript or short interview. Read more about relationship development in my recent blog “The Future of Campus Recruiting.”

Jeffrey Moss, Founder and CEO

Articles of the Week

Alumni networks reimagined: Innovations expanding alumni connections to improve postsecondary pathways - Christensen Institute

Kansas Micro-Internships Project Grants - The Kansas Board of Regents

2021 Top Skills Across Entry-Level Roles: Defining Career-Readiness and Success - Parker Dewey

Alumni networks reimagined: Innovations expanding alumni connections to improve postsecondary pathways - Christensen Institute

“By design, these efforts not only help college-goers develop the professional and so-called soft skills for which employers now clamor, they also provide new—and these providers would argue even more authentic—ways for students to connect and engage with alumni professionals. ”

A recent survey shows that only 9% of college graduates find their alumni network helpful in their job search. Meanwhile, companies struggle to build authentic relationships with prospective interns and full-time hires. By tapping into alumni networks, organizations are finding powerful ways to engage hiring managers and candidates through short-term projects.

Related reading: Increasing Alumni Engagement Through Mentoring Opportunities

Kansas Micro-Internships Project Grants - The Kansas Board of Regents

“The Kansas Micro-Internships program supports the Kansas Board of Regents’ strategic plan, Building a Future, and the Kansas Department of Commerce’s aim to ‘connect businesses, job seekers, educational institutions and training providers.’”

The Kansas Board of Regents is relying on Micro-Internships to “meet industry needs and to help create economic success for Kansas residents and businesses.” They are offering a grant to employers offering Micro-Internships through Parker Dewey, matching 50% of the eligible employers’ Micro-Internship cost.

Related reading: Micro-Internships in Cincinnati: How Your Community Can Attract and Retain College Students

2021 Top Skills Across Entry-Level Roles: Defining Career-Readiness and Success - Parker Dewey

“Compared to previous data reviews, digital competence played a much larger role in the projects listed on Parker Dewey’s innovative platform, but not limited to programming and computer science majors. Employers were increasingly seeking college students and graduates across all majors with a wide variety of technical capability, from Microsoft Suite to programming and web development.”

In this review, Parker Dewey lists the top ten skills required for entry-level projects in 2020. These skills include, but are not limited to, digital technology, communication, and social media. The 2020 data is indicative of the skills that will be in demand in the upcoming year. 

Related reading: Career Launcher Resource: Effective professional communications

For more stories and insights on HR, diversity and inclusion, and hiring, click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter Hire Learnings