On May 31, Recruit IU Indianapolis made its in-person return after being on hiatus for five years.
The event serves as a gateway for local companies to learn and identify the best strategies for recruiting IU Indianapolis students and alumni for internships as well as part-time and full-time opportunities.
This year’s event was hosted by the IU Indianapolis Career Services Council.
Brian Benedict, director of employer relations and chair of the Employer Development and Relations Committee of the council, recognized the distinguishing structure of the event in comparison to general career fairs hosted by the university. Unlike those events, students and alumni did not participate in Recruit IU Indianapolis.
“This is a total 180 [degrees] from a career fair,” Benedict said. “It is strictly recruiters coming and hearing from and meeting with career services staff.”
The goals of the event were to bring in individuals who have recently entered their role as a recruiter and to aid in reestablishing connections with former university-partnered employers that may have been lost during COVID.
Regarding university participation, multiple schools and several IU Indianapolis offices participated.
Attendees for this year’s event attracted 59 recruiters from employers such as:
Throughout the day, employers attended several informational sessions on recruiting topics such as overviews for new recruiters, networking with IU Indianapolis offices, building equity into recruitment efforts, connecting with IU Indianapolis students through strategy, and demystifying the process of hiring international students.
“These are all important topics and areas for local companies to know,” Benedict said.
Some discussion sessions were led by specific department staff. For example, a staff member from the Office of International Affairs explained recruitment processes for international students and how the process is less challenging than it seems.
Companies attending were also given the opportunity to connect and sign up for similar experiences in the future.
While the event is essentially starting over again, Benedict hopes it will increase student opportunities and serve as an invitation for companies to learn about the new campus amid the transition from IUPUI to IU Indianapolis.
“It’s intentionally a pretty simple event with a fairly simple goal, and we’re excited to be able to bring it back,” Benedict said. “We’re hoping to grow it again and help the recruiters more effectively connect with students.”
For more information, contact the Division of Undergraduate Education Office of Communications at duecomm@iu.edu.
