Job-Seekers Flock to Forum

The 11th annual Career Forum yesterday marked the official kickoff of a phenomenon lurking in the background for the class of 1993 for months--job angst.

The introduction to corporate America and service organizations, run by the Office of Career Services (OCS) and held in Memorial Hall, drew more students, 2248, than ever before.

"[It] was the largest number we've ever had," said OCS Director Martha P. Leape. "Last year we had 1700 students."

Leape attributed the increase to the International Experience Program--a combination of academic, service and work opportunities overseas.

"There were more underclassmen because they came to learn about study abroad programs," she said. Seven private study abroad programs sent representatives to the forum.

The 65 organizations, many of which sent Harvard alumni to help recruit, ranged from investment banking firms to high-tech research companies to the Peace Corps.

Despite the recession, corporate recruiters interviewed said their hiring practices would not change from last year.

"The recession isn't affecting us," said Kim M. Batsch of Procter and Gamble, one of the nation's leading consumer product companies. "People still need personal care items," she said.

"We are expecting to hire as many as last year," said Whittnee B. Chen a recruiter for the Seattle-based Microsoft Corp.

Students weren't nearly that optimistic.

"The market is really bad," said L. Cameron Kitchin '92-'93, who was looking for a job in strategy consulting. But Leape sounded the upbeat note.

"It's too early in the year to know what employment will be like in June," she said, "but from today's conversations it looks very positive."