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Readyforce Campus Tour To Connect Tech Students with Online Companies

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 09/10/12

A firm that aims to help startup and technology companies connect with college students for internships and employment will shortly be taking to the road in a 25-campus tour to introduce its new service to potential student users. Readyforce has lined up a number of company sponsors for Hacker Tour 2012, which kicks off Sept. 12 at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. It plans visit another two dozen computer science and engineering schools over the subsequent six to seven weeks.

At each campus Readyforce visits, students will be able to complete an online profile to gain exposure to hiring managers, participate in CEO and CTO webcasts, enter coding contests, and participate in campus meetups. Readyforce reported it will meet with 20,000 students during the tour.

Corbett Morgan, startup analyst at Ohio State University's Technology Commercialization & Knowledge Transfer Office, said Readyforce's tour will show students a viable alternative to the traditional apply-online-anonymously-and-hope-for-the-best method of job hunting. "CoStart is a new movement at The Ohio State University that aims to equip students with the necessary resources to go from spark to startup. An opportunity to work at an early-stage company that has successfully closed funding rounds and is already in the user/customer acquisition phase is a hugely beneficial experience for young, potential techpreneurs," he said. Hacker Tour will stop at Ohio State Sept. 19.

"I believe the Readyforce Hacker Tour will provide students with options that they don't typically have information about or access to," added Judy Fisher, director of the Office of Career Services at Harvey Mudd College. The tour will stop at the college in Southern California onOct. 12.

Sponsors are predominantly weighted to Web-based companies. They currently include Square, which develops products that allow vendors to accept credit cards through their mobile devices, including Android phones and the iPad; Elance, which connects programmers, designers, and others with companies that need freelance help; Sonos, which sells a wireless music system; Etsy, which allows artists and craftspeople to sell goods through an online exchange; and Chegg, which offers multiple student services including a way to rent textbooks and e-textbooks.

"We're really excited about the sponsorship interest we've had from great companies," said Anna Binder, vice president of client services at Readyforce. "We're talking to companies of all sizes, stages, and industries. The Readyforce Hacker Tour 2012 will offer variety and opportunity to the students we'll be meeting across the country."