KU's reputation brings swarm of recruiters
130 companies seek employees at placement center
By Chris Siron
Kansan staff writer
B before graduates pound the pavement with resume in hand, they might want to check in at campus placement centers to check out visiting recruiters.
recruiters.
Terry Glen, director of the University Placement Center, said that overall spring recruitment was running about even with last year's and that last year was a record one in many fields.
Glenn said that career opportunities existed in all fields this year.
but in many fields.
"Companies that come to KU are overwhelmingly positive about most of our graduates," he said. "Those companies come back, and others are drawn by the
Glenn said students who were willing to move and were flexible in their expectations would dramatically increase their likelihood of getting a job.
this year.
"A student who graduates from a professional school or who has done well in a liberal arts program can have a reasonable expectation of employment," he said.
increase their likelihood or getting "My feeling is that students who want to stay in their home region, although it is understandable, seriously limit their employment prospects," he said.
Glemai said a student's grade point average was very important to some, but not all, employers.
"They are all interested in good communications skills, self-confidence and a maturity level that lets students move into the working world," he said.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Jim Henry, assistant director of the center, said he worked primarily with job-hunting graduates of the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
He told that about 130 companies were recruiting through the center and that more companies were calling every day to arrange interview schedules. Many recruit through placement offices within professional schools.
schools.
Henry said recruiters coming to the center often looked for a wide variety of majors that could fill sales and management positions.
giving him positions.
"We see a lot of companies looking for students with broad backgrounds," he said. "They'll be looking for students with philosophy or history degrees to fill corporate positions."
Comite Cookies, creative recruiting representative of Hallmark Cards Inc., said the Kansas City-based company usually looked for a wide range of students from both liberal arts and professional backgrounds.
both liberal arts and patrons.
"Hallmark puts a lot of faith in superior academic performance," she said. "We're looking for students excelled in the area of study they chose for themselves. We're looking for students who are involved in improving themselves through school and extra-curricular activities."
Architecture and Urban Design
Lois Clark, assistant dean of architecture and urban design, had that recruitment at KU was always good but that more companies than usual were looking for architecture graduates.
cannot be a graduate.
"We don't have an official count, but recruitment is up 20 to 25 percent this spring," she said. "The increase is a result of relationships we're developing nationwide."
Frederick Madaus, placement director of the School of
Business
"Last year was the best year ever," he said. "I expect this year will be pretty if not 'better.'"
Madusa said more than 200 companies came to campus last year to recruit business school graduates.
campus last year to Repeat. “There’s been a campaign nationally this year due to a huge protest on Wall Street,” he said. “But it won’t be felt here like it has been in the East and at the big-name schools.”
Madus said financial unrest generally did not hurt large, state-supported schools.
large, state-supported schools." "When the recruiters come in like they have been this year, if gives us a pretty good indication that people are looking seriously at KU graduates," he said.
About 80 percent of KU business graduates reported they were employed within six months after graduation. Madua said, using last year's figures. However, the statistics do not indicate whether the graduates had jobs in their majors.
Engineering
Julie Cunningham, director of the School of Engineering's Career Development Center, said that because engineering careers had been graduating fewer students in recent years and the demand for engineers was increasing, job prospects in the engineering field were good this year.
"Electrical and mechanical engineering tend to remain steady," she said. "Demands for chemical and civil engineers have been increasing during the last two to three years."
to three years.
Cunningham said most KU engineering students went to companies west of the Mississippi River. About 90 percent of engineering students who stay in contact with KU report being employed within 6 months after graduation.
"I would think most of these students are going into jobs related to their majors," she said. "Engineering is
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