Still two-and-a-half quarters away from graduation, Mark Kreutzer, a Communication and sociology double major, is not only eyeing his diploma, but also he is on the lookout for a job after donning his cap and gown.
“Although it’s still early in the year, I’ve already gotten offers,” Kreutzer said. “I’m willing to try any kind of service that’s out there. Anything can help at this point.”
Now seniors like Kreutzer have yet another option to consider when job hunting. The Hiring Machine, a new provider of human resource management services, is seeking a million resumes as a promotion for its official launch in early November.
The team of executive recruiters, industry veterans and senior executives from www.monster.com will help employers find compatible employees through an “integrated suite of services that provide employers a ‘Recruitment Dashboard.'”
Instead of using keyword search programs, The Hiring Machine uses “intelligent language processing technology,” which, the developers said, ensures resumes will be reviewed and analyzed with accuracy.
“For job candidates the hiring process is too often frustrating and time consuming with submitted resumes often falling into a black hole,” said Timothy Goumas, president and CEO of The Hiring Machine. “On the other side, organizations are so overwhelmed that they cannot locate the best person for the job or even let a candidate know their resume has been received.”
Job candidates can post their resumes, conduct job searches and receive professional resume writing assistance. Resumes may be submitted by visiting www.hiringmachine.com and clicking on the large “Resumes Wanted” button. They can be uploaded as Microsoft Word documents or can be created online by filling out a simple form.
Lonnie Dunlap, director of University Career Services, said the Hiring Machine looks promising, but she recommended that students use the service more as supplemental help rather than a main tool in their search for work.
“The Hiring Machine is driven more by the human resources approach, which is broader than the approach campus vendors use for college recruitment,” Dunlap said.
Dunlap encouraged seniors to use CareerCat, Northwestern’s online recruitment service that was launched in September, because she said it’s “more designed to meet the needs of seniors.”
Dunlap also recommended that job searchers check out www.monstertrak.com and www.nacelink.com, which she said are both geared specifically toward college students.
Karen Jaffee, a journalism graduate student, said she relies on building personal networks instead of using online services in her pursuit of gainful employment.
“For my career it all depends on who you know,” said Jaffee, who intends on finding a job in the media entertainment industry. “I prefer actually looking for contacts for companies I want to work for.”
Some NU alumni still are struggling to find employment and are looking for alternative solutions. Eduardo Canto, Medill ’02, said he turns to www.careerbuilder.com for most of his job searches, but admits that online services are limiting.
“The (Hiring Machine) system sounds promising, and I’ll probably use at some point, but as long as I’m looking for a journalism job I doubt it will ever be more than a supplemental tool in the overall search,” said Canto, who is looking for an editorial job at a consumer or trade magazine.
“Most employed alumni that I know got their jobs from hustling and keeping in touch with people they either kept in touch with the people they met on (Teaching Media) or bugged enough editors to land a few informational interviews and eventually an internship,” Canto said.
