Examining US college students’ career information sources across three decades

The purpose of this paper is to examine the career information sources used by university students and identify whether the use of the various sources differs across three generational cohorts.

A survey was administered to 322 students majoring in food marketing and related fields at 12 US universities. The results were compared to prior survey results from 1995 to 2004.

Students continue to use many of the same sources for career information, but use them more frequently. College professors/courses were the most fruitful sources, followed closely by career fair/company visit, job/internship, and family/relatives. Although career centers and counselors were used less frequently, their use is growing. Written materials are used the least, and their use is declining.

The sample is limited to the food and consumer packaged goods (“food/CPG”) industry. It is also limited to US college students.

If organizations and recruiters want to reach and attract millennial students, establishing and fostering relationships with university personnel, especially faculty, is critical. Investing in course activities (e.g. guest lectures, case studies) and industry experiences (e.g. jobs and internships) is also important.

This is the first study to examine the use of career information sources across generational cohorts specifically in the context of the food/CPG industry. The results are bolstered by robust samples and the time-lag design.