In the northwest Corner of David Kinley Hall sits a small office with a very big job: Helping Commerce undergrads and accounting master's students find employment. No one needs to be told how tough the Current job market is. Commerce students have a definite advantage: the Commerce Placement Office.
The success of this office is clear, from the comparative statistics cited, from theglowing articles written by students in the Daily Illini, and from the special commendation the office received from the AACSB accreditation site team (see page 10 this issue of InSight).
Although the staff is small (one professional and five support), the number of students and recruiters served is impressively large - about 3,000 Commerce undergraduates and master's students, and about 300 on campus recruiting firms. Of course many firms that do not recruit on campus have access to Commerce students through several CPO services and data banks. Then there are LAS students in business curricula who also have access to the CPO: add another 300. Students from other colleges who are seeking jobs in business may also use CPO services.
Although the end product of all CPO services is a good job for graduating Commerce students, students are invited and urged to begin using the CPO as early as their freshman year. Activities in the Placement Office fall into two broad categories: career development and placement.
"The CPO does a great job of preparing students for the interview process. Commerce students at the University of Illinois are the most professional and best prepared
of all the students we interview." Pat Welch, Director of Recruiting Arthur Andersen
| Career Development Services include the: | Placement Services include the: |
|---|---|
| Career Resource Center | On-Campus Interviewing Program |
| Career Focus Series | Data Sheet Referrals |
| Career Employment Skills | Vacancy Listings |
| Workshops | Career Fairs |
| Mock Interview Program | Employer Directories |
| Individual Counseling |
By September, 170 firms had already signed up for on-campus recruiting (registration continues until November 18th). That is near last fall's total of 182. The office attributes this increase in early registration to a policy instituted this summer. Instead of waiting for firms to contact them, the CPO called recruiters to put them on the schedule. While other placement units across campus and across the nation are experiencing a drop in the number of on- campus recruiters, our placement office is able to hold its own against the all time high totals of 1989-90.
| UIUC RECRUITING -- 1989-93 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employer Recruiting | |||||
| Commerce | Engineering | Campus | |||
| Year | # Firms | Mkt. Share | # Firms | Mkt. Share | # Firms |
| 1989-90 | 408 | 19% | 629 | 30% | 2,131 |
| 1991-92 | 327 | 21% | 419 | 28% | 1,518 |
| 1993-94 | 421 | 27% | 321 | 21% | 1,556 |
| Student Interviews Arranged | |||||
| Commerce | Engineering | Campus | |||
| Year | Interviews | Mkt. Share | Interviews | Mkt. Share | Interviews |
| 1989-90 | 11,668 | 25% | 5,305 | 33% | 46,520 |
| 991-92 | 11,382 | 33% | 9,638 | 28% | 35,014 |
| 1993-94 | 10,143 | 33% | 7,506 | 25% | 30,305 |
Prepared by Dave Bechtel, UIUC Career Services Center, from data
supplied by the Coordinating Committee on Career Planning and
Placement
By tapping into the technological strengths of the university
and college, the CPO has made several changes in recent years
that contribute to the efficiency and success of the office. For
example, since 1993, students have been able to put their data
sheets on-line. Using the office's on-line capabilities they can
check the Interview Bulletin to preview the companies recruiting
on campus and the positions advertised, sign up for interviews,
and, starting this fall, check out jobs listed by companies who
do not come to campus to recruit but who would like to receive
information about Commerce students on the job market.
| Students at "work". Alot of effort goes into the job search. |