Trading in résumés for Web pages

Job hunt takes off in cyberspace

May 17, 1996
Web posted at: 12:10 a.m. EDT

From Correspondent Michael Okwu

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Job hunting used to require tough shoe soles and an attitude to match. But these days, opportunity may be knocking at one's computer screen.

According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, college campuses nationwide have enjoyed a surge in job recruiting.

Providing the bulk of employment opportunities was the service industry -- accounting firms, consultants, and computer software development companies. More than half of the job offers made went to graduates who received some kind of technical training, especially those who majored in computer science.

Still, a record 1.2 million students are graduating from U.S. colleges this year. That means, despite keen employer interest this year, they're entering a tight, competitive market that often requires more than good, old-fashioned persistence.

That's why more and more college seniors like Michael Montero are finding solutions on the Internet. "The World Wide Web ... It's everywhere," he says.

Montero, a computer science major, created his own Web site and watched the offers pour in, two from companies he never even applied to.

"The fact that I've gotten job offers and never dealt with a human being -- it's sort of frightening," he said.

Trudy Steinfeld of New York University's office of career services says the Web has "taken off like wildfire."

"I think next it'll be hard to find a student who doesn't have a Web page," she said.

Without a presence on the Web, counselors say, it might be difficult to get a jump on jobs. Not only do software and computer companies recruit on-line, graduating seniors can find everything from insurance brokers to investment banks on the Web.

In an ever changing market, increasingly, more employers say they need people who can adapt to new technology.

"The technology has moved into the mainstream so the candidates that Morgan wants, with the breadth of background that we would like, are now embracing the technology and using it as well," said Thomas Bain, Head of Global Recruiting at J.P. Morgan.

Related sites:

• National Association of Colleges and Employers
• JobWeb Home Page

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