New college graduates may not have to go far in their search for employment. Employers named on-campus interviewing as most effective in helping them identify and hire new college graduate employees, according to a survey.

The report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identified the top methods for recruiting new college hires:

1. (tie) On-campus recruiting
1. (tie) Organization's internship program
2. Employee referrals
3. Organization's co-op program
4. Career/job fairs
5. (tie) Internet job postings (campus web site)
5. (tie) Faculty contacts

"Many employers are on campus interviewing students for job openings," said Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. "Students need to avail themselves of the opportunities they have to interview with employers on their campus."

Students traditionally can sign up for interviews through their campus career center.

Employers also reported that their internship programs are a top source of new college hires for their organization, and cited employee referrals, cooperative education programs, job postings on the campus web site, and faculty contacts as among their most effective hiring tools. With the exception of employee referrals, these hiring methods also are connected directly to the college campus.

"Most campuses offer students and soon-to-be graduates a variety of tools to help them launch their job searches—from on-campus interviews, to job postings, to assistance in finding an internship," said Mackes. "To get started, students can visit their campus career center or check out their career center's web site to review what's available."