HireOSUgrads.com

Most people go to college to get a good job. But do they get much help finding it? You probably remember a career fair, maybe a few pamphlets and then you're on your own. <br/><br/>But now universities,

Wednesday, September 15th 2004, 10:16 am

By: News On 6

Most people go to college to get a good job. But do they get much help finding it? You probably remember a career fair, maybe a few pamphlets and then you're on your own.

But now universities, like Oklahoma State University are trying some high-tech ways, some "unusual" ways, to put employers in touch with their students.

News on 6 reporter Steve Berg says it is on a Tulsa billboard, it is also behind OSU football coach Les Miles at a post-game press conference. It is also on Amjad Ayoubi's shirt.

About 3 years ago, Amjad felt like they needed a change. "Our web site name was really too long and we wanted something people could remember." Ayoubi says www.HireOSUGrads.com is short, to the point, and right out of the gate is making the request.

They'd probably say "please" hire OSU grads, but again, they're trying to make it quick. Ayoubi has painful memories of getting the brush-off when he graduated in 1985 with a petroleum degree, right in the middle of the oil bust. "And went to the placement office and was basically told I picked the wrong major."

Determined that career services could be better, the former petroleum student now makes it his mission to turn the department into a well-oiled machine. The web site is simple and uncluttered.

There's a section for students and one for employers. "Right now we have 1,137 employers registered with out site." It's a big improvement over career fairs, says senior OSU-Tulsa student Amanda Taylor, who recently went to one with a friend. â€œThe majority of the people weren't even hiring, they were just there to kind of help out and they were taking applications but they were getting so many in that you didn't really have a chance."

Ayoubi says other schools of course have web sites, but to his knowledge anyway, he doesn't think they've tried his unusual marketing techniques and he's not done yet. "We are going to have a car that's going to be going around Tulsa soon that will be covered with www.HireOSUGrads.com."