College students expecting to graduate next spring are now battling for positions during the peak of the job hunt season. This year, in an attempt to reach a greater pool of qualified applicants, the number of companies using the Internet as a recruiting tool has increased.
To receive the information provided on the Internet, a student must be able to access the home pages of employers, thereby making familiarity with computers part of the employment selection process. For some students, therefore, the personal computer is becoming an indispensable tool in the search for a job.
One leading electronics manufacturer switched this year from advertising in employment magazines to distributing its recruiting information over the Internet. Since January 1995 the company has been distributing on its home page such information as an outline of the company, its financial standing, personnel management policy, and a description of company-owned housing and recreational facilities.
From the end of February, moreover, it has been posting information directed at science majors describing the company's technology seminar and factory tour.
After starting to distribute recruiting information over the Internet, news about the company spread quickly through the student community by way of computer magazines and word of mouth. Interested students can access the home page from a computer at home or school, and those wanting to participate in the technology seminar and factory tour can send an application form electronically along with a simple resume. The company looks over the applications, arranges appointments with applicants, and forwards responses through electronic mail, regular mail, or by telephone.
Even after the seminar and factory tour, it is possible for applicants and personnel managers to keep in touch by way of the Internet. The company can thus maintain regular contact with top candidates and continue to send information until hiring decisions are made. The Internet also provides students with an excellent opportunity to advertise themselves to potential employers.
Compared to the days when it recruited workers through employment magazines, the company contends that the number of applications from graduating students has increased. Furthermore, despite the tendency for science majors to be poor at presenting themselves to potential employers, many feel confident about their electronic communication skills, and as a result the pool of applicants has expanded.
A big factor behind the success of the new recruiting method has been the increasing interest students have in computers. For example, at Keio University's Fujisawa campus established five years ago, 75% of the 4,300 students own personal computers, and 25% use the Internet. For these students a personal computer is now as indispensable as paper and pencil. From now on, it appears that the Internet will become an important means of looking for a job.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)