As a campus recruiter, I have a vested interest in every hire that we make. While an experienced hire may take a matter of weeks to go from initial resume review to offer negotiation, campus recruiting is a lengthy process. At many schools, I meet interested candidates when they are freshmen or sophomores, and I keep in touch with them over the course of a few years. By the time a student joins Protiviti as an intern or entry-level consultant, I often know everything from nicknames, to favorite travel destinations, to how they would answer the eternal question: “Cubs or Sox?”.
With that much time and effort invested in a hire, you can understand my interest in their progress and development once on board. Many times, they stop by to catch up during the odd day in the office, or they send emails to check in. I have seen them present at office meetings and get promoted to new levels, and I must admit that I always feel a sense of pride. Previously in this blog, I mentioned some of the reasons why I love my job – ultimately there is nothing more rewarding than watching our campus hires succeed.
A great example of this is last Friday, when the Chicago office hosted a job shadow event for a group of students from the University of Illinois. Many alumni were involved in the planning and execution of this event, but none more so than Julian, a former intern who returned as a full-time consultant last fall. Julian coordinated the day’s agenda from start to finish, delivering the overview presentation and leading a case study. Watching Julian, it was funny to think about how, not very long ago, he was one of those visiting students, and how much he has evolved as a consultant and a professional… A great “full circle” moment for a recruiter like me, and hopefully for a campus hire like Julian as well.
– Bridget
