"Tell Your Friends" , A Throw Away Line or Brilliant Marketing Strategy?

Many recruiters that I come in contact with enjoy speaking to classes and holding informational sessions, where they can explain their company, the mission, a typical career path, interview advice, and what they are looking for in their employees. Many do end up posting any available positions on our online job board for students to view and apply. But what is more effective for a gen Y student? Finding it online, or hearing about it from a friend?

Most students I meet spend many hours searching and applying for jobs online. And, I must say, they are pretty good googlers. If there is a posting, they find it.

However, students talk. They talk about what they are doing this weekend, who's dating someone eles's ex girlfriend, and where they are going with their lives. So when a recruiter comes to talk to a class of 20 students, in the end, how many are they actually reaching? 25? 50? 173?

On college campuses, words travel fast. Even faster with facebook status updates displaying observational comments of the day. If the recruiter has an engaging, thought provoking, and well executed presentation, you know that you are not speaking to a class of 20...you may be in fact speaking to a class of 200.

"Tell your friends" should not be taken lightly. It may be the heaviest phrase you say all day.