College Students Remember Recruiters (and their pens)

The graduating class of 2011 is in a better position than recent graduating classes to walk past the podium and into a new job.

Still, the senior year in college is a difficult one for students.  Essays still need to get written, labs still need to be conducted, and parties still need to be planned.  In between all of that, seniors need to somehow try to apply for some jobs.

Not every senior has a job that she’s always coveted.  In fact, recruiters are often the ones that plant an idea into students’ heads about what they would like to apply for.  The process of giving someone an idea need not always be as elaborate as the recent movie “Inception.”

Sometimes, the power of suggestion from a emblazoned pen or t-shirt is enough to generate a fond feeling which turns into a job application.  According to Tim Andrews of Advertising Specialty Industry, students are inspired to apply for jobs where recruiters have given them a little memento.

Andrews wrote that, “As hiring increases, so does the need for creative use of promotional products to attract the best possible candidates.  Whether companies hand out a cleverly branded T-shirt or a personalized iPod to potential recruits, the ‘We want you’ message is clearly conveyed.”

The question remains, however, how to communicate ‘We want you’ without causing unnecessary waste.  Not only is the new graduating class entering into a struggling economy, but it is also entering an environment with over-crowded landfills.  Recruiters need to figure out how to appeal to new graduates while at the same time refusing to generate surplus materials that will not be well-utilized.