If company representatives simply hand out literature about the company and tell all individuals to contact them if they are interested in applying, they are not applicants until they formally apply. College recruiting is a technique whereby an employer goes on campus to interview students for positions. Since only selected candidates are invited back to the company for further interviews, all students interviewed would ordinarily be considered applicants for employment. When deciding which campuses to visit, employers should consider colleges or universities with a diverse student population. This will help minimize the company's exposure to liability for employment discrimination and enhance the company's ability to recruit qualified women and minorities.
Some employers also visit such schools personally and interview prospective employees on-site.
Some individuals walk in and apply directly for employment by completing an application or by dropping off or mailing in a resume. Individuals who complete an official company application at an employer's establishment are generally considered applicants for employment. State agencies, such as employment security or labor departments, are sometimes used by employers as a recruitment source, primarily for blue collar and clerical employees. Often, such agencies will even prescreen and test prospective candidates. Government contractors and subcontractors are required by the federal regulations that implement the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act to list with the local state job service all job openings with the exception of positions filled from within and higher-level management positions.