On Campus Recruiting (OCR) is a process by which employers identify and interview potential candidates for hire. OCR is usually conducted by employers seeking graduating seniors and alumni to full-time positions, however, employer will sometimes interview candidates for a internships or cooperative education positions, as well. At UNO, students submit résumés online using the Opportunities Database. Using self-selected hiring criteria, an employer will review the résumés of qualified students and invite those students for interviews. Invited students simply schedule an interview, again, at UNO, using the Opportunities Database. The process is described in more detail below.
The first step for participation in OCR at UNO is to register with the UNO Counseling and Career Center through the UNO Opportunities Database. Access to the Opportunities Database will allow you to look at recruiting schedules and submit your résumé to companies visiting the campus for OCR. Each year, during "recruitment season," the UNO Counseling and Career Center will publish a bulletin with a list of the companies participating in OCR at UNO. The bulletin will specify the minimum requirements needed for consideration for the the positions for which the company with be hiring. These requirements typically include a specified major, GPA and anticipated graduation date of the candidate (if still in school). A student must meet the minimum requirements to be considered for an interview; however, meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee an invitation for an interview. Typically, a company will specify a "pre-select deadline" indicating the last day they will accept a résumé for consideration. This date is usually two weeks before the interview date. Once selected, candidates will be instructed to select an interview time. Interviews are generally conducted in the UNO Counseling and Career Center interview rooms, but other locations are sometimes used for busier interview days. As such, candidates are advised to carefully review and record all information pertaining to the location and time of the interview.
Have questions about On-Campus Recruiting? Please review the following. If you're questions are not answered here, please contact Adrienne Mustiful, PhD in the UNO Counseling and Career Center at 504-280-6225 for additional information and assistance.
When does On-Campus Recruiting happen?
Most On-Campus Recruiting takes place in the fall semester, usually from the first week in October through mid-November. Some companies also conduct OCR interviews in March.
How do I get involved with On-Campus Recruiting?
You must register with the UNO Counseling and Career Center in order to participate in OCR.
I created a profile in the Opportunities Database and uploaded my résumé. Am I automatically registered for OCR?
No. In order to participate in OCR, you'll need to participate in the online submission and sign-up process. Once the OCR schedule is posted (usually 3-4 weeks before the first interview date), log-in the Opportunities Database and review the information about the companies coming to campus and the positions they have available. If you meet an employer's minimum qualifications and are interested in a particular position, submit your résumé for consideration. If they choose to interview you, you may then select an interview time.
Why is there no On-Campus Recruiting in the summer?
Human resources professionals who focus on college recruiting need to take vacations just like the rest of us. Summers are the best time for them to do that since most universities do not have a large number of summer graduates.
When should I participate in On-Campus Recruiting?
You should go through OCR in the fall of the academic year that you plan to graduate. For example, if you expect to graduate in December 2011, May 2012, or August 2012, you should participate in OCR in the fall of 2011.
I'm a Liberal Arts major. Why aren't there more companies for me at On-Campus Recruiting?
The great majority of employers that participate in OCR around the country are large corporations that have a variety of positions to fill. For example, an accounting firm may need six entry-level accountants (Accounting majors) and one new communications specialist (English major or DRCM major or History major or some other Liberal Arts major) in any given year. Since the company's more pressing need is that of filling the accounting positions, the company is more likely to invest time, money and effort interviewing for the accounting positions on campus, while advertising the communications position in a newspaper's classifieds section.
Why doesn't Microsoft (or GE or AT&T or...) participate in OCR at UNO?
Companies tend to focus their recruiting efforts at schools in their geographic area. It's a practical decision. It is much less expensive for Microsoft (headquartered in Redmond, Washington) to send recruiters to universities on or near the west coast than it is for them to send recruiters across the country to New Orleans. Unfortunately, there are no Fortune 100 companies headquartered Louisiana.
Occasionally, students and alumni express concerns about not having received invitations for interviews. If this happens to you, please consider the following:
Do you meet the employers minimum requirements for consideration?
As mentioned above, employers (not the UNO Counseling and Career Center) establish minimum requirements for applicants. These minimum requirement might include major, minimum GPA, anticipated graduation date (in the case of currently enrolled students), and citizenship status. For example: If you registered with the UNO Counseling and Career Center last spring and indicated on your profile that you were a Junior at the time and then did not update your profile upon achieving senior status, then you will not be eligible for companies looking for seniors or alumni. As such, it is extremely important to maintain an accurate and up-to-date Opportunities Database profile. While we're on the subject of accuracy, keep in mind that if a company established a minimum GPA, the recruiter might want to verify your GPA by asking for an official transcript.
Are you outside the "range of consideration" for the position?
Some companies handle alumni and experienced applicants differently from how they handle applicants who have yet to graduate or those who are new to the workforce. For example, companies may think that an alum who has been out of school and in the workforce for some time is not an appropriate candidate for the entry-level position for which they are hiring and exclude such individuals from consideration. Please keep in mind that qualifications necessary for consideration for a position are established by the companies recruiting and not by the UNO Counseling and Career Center. If you're an alum who's not having much luck with OCR and you believe this may be the reason, please contact Adrienne Mustiful, PhD in the UNO Counseling and Career Center at 504-280-6225 for additional information and assistance.
