TalentMinded

Fresh college grads can make great hires, but with the lack of entry-level openings in the job market right now, some of the most talented individuals aren’t getting the opportunities they need to grow. But Venture for America is finally bridging a massive gap between college talent and new companies that are still getting their footing.

What is It?

The non-profit organization launched July 2011 and is like a Teach for America for fledgling companies. In its first year, the program will place “fellows” at small startups in Detroit, New Orleans and Providence. And these fellows are no slobs – they must be college grads, have a good GPA and go through intensive summer training at Brown University.

President and Founder Andrew Yang said in an interview with Xconomy that he suffered a failed startup of his own and hopes the organization will combat those failures for others.

“If you can imagine a country where the same proportion of talent went to building businesses and creating jobs in environments like Detroit as currently goes to banking or law school, we believe our economic problems would be solved,” Yang said to Inc. Magazine. “That’s what we’re looking to accomplish.”

Venture for America approximates it will have 5,000 applicants for about 50 slots in its first session, so the ones picked are bound to be pretty special. Companies can still sign up to host fellows if they meet a variety of criteria.

Other Opportunities for Recruiting College Grads

Aside from this program, there are other ways to connect with recent college grads. Niche job boards for the entry-level candidate, virtual career fairs and social networking sites are just a few of the options available.

 

We want to know: when you seek fresh grads, what outlets do you use? Which have produced the best results? Leave your examples in the comments!

 

Image: David Michael Morris/Flickr