Companies go on spring break, hoping to find future workforce

"What's the advancement like? Is it great?" asked Mr. Stepp, a freshman majoring in exercise and sports studies at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas.

"The advancement is real great," said Mr. Stillman, Gallo's field marketing manager. "There is a lot of responsibility. It's a multibillion-dollar company."

The bare-chested Mr. Stepp peppered Mr. Stillman, who was wearing shorts, for several minutes. Neither thought it strange that they were holding a conversation about corporate hierarchy under a tent on South Padre Island at the height of spring break.

Mr. Stillman was among several dozen corporate officials who attended the third annual Spring Break Career Expo at the popular vacation spot this week. Organizers estimated that up to 18,000 people would walk through the tent during the two-day event, which wrapped up Wednesday.

"I have seen more people walk by in the last two hours than I did at the last two college career fairs I went to," Mr. Stillman said. "It's all about exposure at this point."
Corporations say the tight labor market is forcing them to rethink college recruiting. They can't just expect students to flock to them. They must meet students on their own turf -- or surf.

"You just have to continue to stay in front of students' faces," said Brad Westveld, manager of sourcing strategies in Motorola's global university relations division. "University relations and recruiting [involves] ... a lot of marketing these days."

Mr. Westveld led a team of about a dozen recruiters and promoters to the beach this week. Their message to the spring breakers: Motorola is "offering a hip environment and a cool place to work."

Motorola employees canvassed the beach giving away free T-shirts and passing out fliers. The company was also giving away sets of walkie-talkies in drawings all day Tuesday and Wednesday.

A new approach

Recruiters say the gimmicks are crucial to bring attention to their companies. That's because unemployment among college graduates is about 1.8 percent, less than half the national average.

Recruiters have to let their hair down, and corporations must be willing to show their softer side to students in such a labor market, said David Owen, human resources coordinator for the San Antonio insurance firm USAA.

"Companies are having to be more innovative," said Mr. Owen, who also made the trek to South Padre this week. "It's a change in culture. It will take some time."

Mr. Owen was standing at the entrance of the main recruiting tent handing out plastic bags with "USAA" emblazoned on them. Students put the bags to use by filling them with pens, key chains, water bottles and other promotional materials the companies were handing out.

Many of the students were unabashed in their hunt, just walking up to recruiters asking what they were giving away. Many picked up trinkets without even inquiring about the company or career opportunities.

Chad Robertson, a biology senior at Indiana University, said some students were serious about the career fair, but most were just there to collect souvenirs.

"I'm sure there are students that benefit from it," he said. "But most are coming to get free stuff."

Mr. Robertson, 22, said he plans to go to optometry school after graduating this year and had little interest in the companies attending the career fair.

The recruiters had competition in the trinket department. Their large tent was flanked on both sides by smaller booths sponsored by credit card and phone companies giving away giving away T-shirts and water bottles to students who signed up for their services.

A short distance away, the Marine Corps was handing out T-shirts and Frisbees to students who could perform 20 chin-ups on a set of iron bars.

Worth the effort

Career expo manager Scott Pressman said the giveaways draw students in but aren't the fair's main attraction.

"This shows you another side of a company," said Mr. Pressman, whose company, Pressman Communications Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., develops trade shows and career fairs. "When I think of Motorola, I don't think of a bunch of people in yellow shirts and black shorts."

Bill Hoffman, director of national recruiting for Jackson National Life Insurance Co., said the students' cavalier attitudes didn't surprise him. He was willing to give away chewing gum, cup holders and pens to hundreds of spring breakers if he could get the names and numbers of a few talented students.

Jackson National, based in Lansing, Mich., is trying to reach out to more college students because experienced professionals are getting harder to recruit, Mr. Hoffman said.

"It's like 20-year-old trick-or-treating," he said. "If I have one or two dozen [qualified candidates] to follow up with, I think it would be pretty good."

Mr. Hoffman said he has to remain selective in hiring. A tight labor market doesn't give unqualified students a free pass, he said.

"You have to go through a lot of people to find someone exceptional," Mr. Hoffman said.
Measure of success

Mr. Westveld said he will consider this year's career expo to be a success if his recruiters follow up with just 1 percent to 2 percent of the students who gave Motorola their e-mail addresses this week.

Not all students at South Padre this week said they felt sure of landing a job immediately after graduation.

Ann Berdahl, a junior at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., said job hunts aren't easy and favor students majoring in engineering and business. She is studying health.
"I feel it's hard to get a job," said Ms. Berdahl, 20. "[The career fair] has definitely been worth it."

Mr. Stepp, from Tarleton State, said it helped to talk with recruiters such as Mr. Stillman of Gallo. Mr. Stepp wants to be a high school coach but can also see himself working in sales for a company such as E&J Gallo.

"If a school is not willing to hire me, this is something I can do," he said. "I'm glad I talked to this guy. I may change my career."