More than 500 employers are recruiting NIU students through the Career Planning and Placement Center during the 1988-89 academic year, an increase of 6 percent over 1987-88.

“In absolute numbers, however, student participation dropped from 1,978 last year to 1,941 this year, almost 2 percent,” said Jean Callary, campus recruiting coordinator.

The main reason for an increasing number of employers and a decreasing number of student participants, Callary said, is the abundance of available jobs in this area.

In effect, students feel “less panicked” with a good job market, she said.

Some of the 114 companies with new or expanded recruiting at CPPC are the Chicago Cubs, Helene Curtis, A.C. Nielsen and Dean Witter.

The NIU Alumni Association and CPPC Job Hunters Guide reports that “over the years, 85 to 90 percent of our graduates accept jobs within a few months after graduation.” This includes both those who take jobs before and after graduating.

Recruiting is characterized by different types of companies in the spring and the fall, Callary said. The trend in the fall is toward positions in fields related to majors in business and computer science. Spring recruiting concentrates more on liberal arts training for retailers or government.

Callary also said many companies recruit in both semesters and more recruiting is done during the spring semester.