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Campus Recruiting – Piper Center for Vocation and Career

Campus Recruiting

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    Campus Recruiting

    Business schools do most things very well. They are just not comprehensive and what they miss are things like culture and creativity and a certain kind of pattern recognition that comes easily to people trained in the liberal arts. – Grant David McCracken

    Key Events

    RECORDING: Intro to Campus Recruiting & Fall Recruiting ShowcasePrep Session

    What is Campus Recruiting?

    Campus Recruiting refers to employers that hire regularly and in larger numbers for summer internships and entry-level jobs – mainly in corporate/business fields. Recruiting occurs throughout the year, with fall (September/October) and spring (February/March) the peak times for opportunities.  Employers will generally expect students to intern or start employment in the upcoming summer.  See recruiting timelines below.

    Spring or fall internships – these are great options for students who have flexibility in their schedules for a part-time internship.  Applications are typically accepted 4-6 months prior to the internship.  Prior to applying, make sure you understand the structure of the internship – virtual vs. hybrid/on-site, part-time vs. full-time.  Occasionally, there will be full-time internships designed for students who can take a semester off – these are generally not suitable for St. Olaf students.

    Formal, posted J-term internships are uncommon.  The best strategy to secure an internship during January is to develop your own by connecting with people in your network – e.g. personal/family, community, alumni – to ask if they have the ability to host you as an intern.

    Not all employers specifically recruit students for jobs, however are very willing to consider seniors for open entry-level roles.  Generally, these employers seek to hire for immediate start following the interview and offer period.  This means seniors will need to wait until 4-8 weeks prior to graduation to apply and be considered for these roles.  Applying earlier than this increases the chances that employers will not respond to your application since you would not be able to start early enough.

    Identifying campus recruiting opportunity for students.

    Employers will usually indicate somewhere in the title or posting that students are the target audience for a position.  Examples include:

    • Expected start date/season included in title (e.g. ‘2025 BNY Summer Internship Program’ or ‘Finance Intern – Summer 2025’, ‘Associate, Client Service, San Francisco, 2025’ )
    • The job is framed around a leadership or rotational program (e.g. ”2025 Human Resources Development Program – Early Careers’)
    • The terms ‘early careers’, ‘campus/college/university recruiting’, ‘student programs’ are used in the job description.
    • The position is listed under a special campus/college/university recruiting careers page.: a new tab)

    Information for Employers

    Campus Recruiting Timelines

    Fall (August – early November)

    Larger employers recruit for a relatively narrow band of business roles, including: business analysis, data analysis, management consulting, general finance/banking, actuarial science, technology, certain healthcare analyst roles, and a few other miscellaneous positions.  Employers are typically large corporate organizations who are able to consistently predict their hiring needs far in advance.

    • Opportunities generally post in August with deadlines starting in very early September through the end of October.
    • Students are encouraged to pay attention to email communication starting in August.
    • Opportunities during this time will favor juniors and seniors.  Sophomores are strongly encouraged to participate to explore roles, build early relationships with employers, and apply for eligible internships.
    Mid Academic Year (late November – January)

    Campus recruiting generally takes a pause during this time.  While a few opportunities may appear, this is a period of relative quiet for recruiting.

    Spring Semester (February – early May)

    Spring semester is a recruiting period when most students begin to see a wider band of business opportunities post.   If the fall roles don’t seem relevant to you or if you were not able to secure an opportunity in the fall – this is a great time to engage.

    • Smaller to medium-sized firms recruit for a wider range of roles across all functional areas in business.
    • Opportunities during this time will be available for seniors, juniors, and sophomores.  Internships for first-years tend to be limited – first-years are invited to show up to learn about the options, employers and opportunities for the future.
    • Larger corporate firms may have a small number of roles still available or have “one off” positions open.
    • Investment banks recruit during this period for the following summer (i.e. 14-16 months ahead of the summer internship period.
    Summer (Late May – August)

    Summer is a relatively quiet period of time for recruiting.  This is a great time to engage in internships, summer jobs, networking, and skill building.

    • Management consulting firms recruit during this period for the following summer (i.e. 11-23 months prior to the summer internship period).  Students interested in management consulting should begin to engage with employers early in the spring semester to prepare for summer recruiting.

    Students interested in other industries (e.g. nonprofit, government, research, law) should review other recruiting timelines via the links below.

    Campus Recruiting Collections – Handshake

    St. Olaf Collections

    Access here or directly in Handshake.  (Navigation: Jobs –> St. Olaf Collections)

    (Note: Collections update daily through an overnight sync.)

    Campus Recruiting: Select — Job and Internship opportunities at employers with some form of direct recruiting connection to the college. The employers often hire St. Olaf students and there may be an alumnus or parent who has influence over hiring decisions.
    Campus Recruiting: National (Internships) — See everything! This will also show you all campus recruiting internship opportunities posted by all national (including Fortune 500) employers who may or may not have a direct connection to the St. Olaf.

    Link Directly to Campus Recruiting Collections in Handshake

    Campus Recruiting Digest

    The Campus Recruiting Email Digest is the primary communication tool that you can rely on to learn about events and job and internship opportunities from employers who are actively recruiting at St. Olaf.

    The Digest is usually sent out weekly during the fall and spring recruiting timeframes but may be sent out at additional times when important, time-sensitive information is available.

    The following students are automatically subscribed to the Digest:

    • Majors: Economics, Quantitative Economics, Math, Computer Science
    • Concentrations/Emphases: Business & Management Studies, Finance, Management
    • Students who indicate ‘business’, ‘communications/marketing/media’, and ‘still exploring’ as a career interest in Handshake

    To receive the Campus Recruiting Digest or request removal, please complete the Campus Recruiting Communication OPT IN/OUT Form.

    When you see this banner, you’ll know to read carefully to ensure you have critical information to access opportunities.

    Campus Recruiting Events

    Intro to Campus Recruiting & Fall Recruiting Showcase Prep Sessions

    Attend a Prep Session to hear an overview of Campus Recruiting and the Fall Recruiting Fair – learn how to prepare, and tips for getting the most out of this recruiting season.

    Note: The sessions will be recorded.

    Fall Recruiting Showcase
    Monday, September 23, 2024

    Employer pitches and alumni/student networking event to prepare students for campus recruiting and the fall recruiting fair.

    Great Lakes Colleges Association Virtual Career Fair
    Wednesday, October 2, 2024
    This fair brings together students from St. Olaf with employers throughout the greater Midwest region, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Registration will open in early September.
    MN Private Colleges’ Job & Internship Fair
    Wednesday, February 19, 2024

    Minnesota Private Colleges’ Job & Internship Fair includes recruiter representatives from over 250+ organizations from business/industry and from the non-profit sector.

    Related Events

    Coaches and Staff | Business and On-Campus Recruiting