• Many companies are cutting down on jobs, but on-campus recruiting through Career Services Center lives on.
• Only 8 to 10 percent of students use on-campus recruiting.
• 87 employers visited campus this fall to conduct 763 interviews.

Considering the economy's current state, student job seekers may fear living in a cardboard box after graduation. Several firms and companies are cutting down on available positions, but on-campus recruiters offer a number of jobs through the Career Services Center.

But only 8 to 10 percent of students utilize on-campus recruiting, according to Kristin Finn, CSC employer relations manager. Finn said CSC has had 87 employers visit campus this fall to conduct 763 interviews for full-time, co-op and internship positions.

According to Finn, employer visits are down from last fall, where 107 employers conducted interviews. But student interviews increased 1.4 percent.

To take part in on-campus recruiting, students register online through the CSC Web site, select an employer to submit a résumé and sign up for an interview time, if notified that their résumé was accepted. If the on-campus interview goes well, students will often be sent to the employer's site for additional interviews. This could ultimately lead to a position in the company.

Finn said most employers recruit at other college campuses by attending career fairs and conducting on-campus interviews, both in and out of state. Some companies visiting Marquette include Target, Caterpillar, Wells Fargo and Walgreens.

The busiest on-campus recruitment times are from September through October and February through April-right after the career fairs.

"The importance of taking advantage of on-campus recruiting is regardless of the economy," Finn said. "But we recommend that students now especially make sure they take advantage of every opportunity and resource available to them, including utilizing Career Services, creating a strategic job search plan and networking."

Finn said CSC has resources for all majors.

"It's a common misconception that we're only here for business students," Finn said. "We coach and mentor students and alumni through their job search process."

Students can also make appointments or go for walk-in help with résumés, interviewing skills, MU Career Manager and more. Finn said the majority of walk-ins are College of Arts & Sciences students.

Marie Lorenzi, a senior in the College of Business Administration and CSC employer relations intern, uses on-campus recruiting for her job search. After interviews with three companies, she landed a full-time management training position with Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Chicago.

"It was by far the most relaxed interview I've ever had," Lorenzi said.

She said staying on-campus relieved pre-interview stress because she already knew the office, the site was within walking distance and she had already met her interviewer at the career fair.

Lorenzi said she was much more nervous about off-campus interviews because she was unfamiliar with the areas and did not know what to expect from the interviewers.

Lorenzi, unsure of her desired career path, continues to use the CSC as she searches for other options. She has one more potential on-campus interview before graduating in December.

"It's definitely something all students should use," Lorenzi said. "Why go to recruiters when they can come to you?"

Dan Wojno, a senior in the College of Engineering, agreed. So far, he has had four on-campus interviews with Rockwell Automation, Cooper Power Systems, Accenture and Schlumberger.

Wojno said the interview style varies depending on the employer, usually taking about 30 minutes to one hour. He said he had an interview that was more like a conversation and one where the interviewer was "rapid firing" questions at him.

He described second-round interviews as basically "an all expenses paid vacation" to the employer's location. He said additional interviews are as much about the prospective employee getting to know the company as it is the employer getting to know the prospective employee.

The structure of on-campus recruiting makes the job search process easier and more convenient, Wojno said.

"You can submit your résumé through other companies' Web sites, but you don't know when you'll hear back," Wojno said. "(CSC) might not always have what you want, but they definitely have a lot of opportunities."