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A recruiter hands out freebies on the beach RELATED VIDEO CNN's Rick Lockridge reports on corporate recruiting at the beach Windows Media 28K 80K

April 9, 1999
Web posted at: 1:47 p.m. EDT (1747 GMT)

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (CNN) -- Generations of spring breakers have come to South Padre Island Beach to get a tan or get acquainted. This year's group could get something else -- a job.

Fierce competition for new grads finds some U.S. companies taking their business to the beach.

Each year, more than a million college students head for America's southern periphery, shedding inhibitions -- and clothing -- for a week's worth of activities.

Traditionally, the agenda on the beach is blissfully uncomplicated, just lots of revelry, romance and recreation. But now there's a fourth "R:" recruitment.

And the recruiters come right up to their towels. For some, the intrusion is not totally welcome.

"Kids are here to party," says spring breaker Elisha Gray, an electrical engineering major in her senior year at Georgia Tech. "They're not looking for a job."

But, she admits, there's no harm in getting your name out there.

"If I can talk to some people at IBM, that's great."

About 30 big-name companies are on the road this year in a traveling job fair that has hit beaches from Texas to Florida.

Companies set up tents on the beach to lure prospective future employees

"We want to attract the very best," says Kathy Nolan, a recruiter for AT&T. "And if we have to find the very best at spring break, we'll come to spring break to do it."

High-tech majors are the most in demand, with an estimated 750,000 information technology jobs expected to open up in the next year.

Computer science grads can expect starting salaries around $40,000; engineers, $44,000 or higher.

Companies say they will hire dozens of students based on this first, very casual contact. And they feel going where the students are -- wherever they are -- will give them a competitive edge in the tug-of-war for the best and the brightest.

Correspondent Rick Lockridge contributed to this report.

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