Ernst & Young's “Your World Your Vision” campus competition, which asked college students to submit proposals for education and environment community projects, made quite an impact on Samantha Ma, a new graduate of the University of Calgary. “[It] was attention grabbing, and it made me think, ‘This is definitely the firm for me,'” Ms Ma says.
Traditionally, campus competitions have proved an effective way of attracting talent. Such promotional efforts may seem unnecessary in the current economic climate as graduates fight for a reduced number of places – Ernst & Young, the professional services firm, has cut the number of graduates hired by 11 per cent compared with last year.
Employers expect to hire 22 per cent fewer new graduates from the college class of 2009 than the previous year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers in the US. Hiring for new MBAs is also expected to decline 50 per cent compared with last year, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council, the industry body for business schools.