Distributors would benefit from developing a relationship with students even before they enter college, says Mary Jawgiel, program director at Industrial Careers Pathway, in College Recruiting: Go Beyond Career Fairs.

Business leaders can raise awareness about their own companies and the industry as a whole by going "a little bit farther down the educational chain" to high school-aged students, says Jawgiel. “Basically, no one knows what industrial distribution is," she says.

If distributors work to build industry awareness early on, they may have more possible candidates when recruiting from colleges later, Jawgiel says.

Students should know that distribution offers many of the same opportunities as other industries, including positions in marketing, accounting, human resources, sales and more, Jawgiel says. Telling high school students about career opportunities can give distributors an advantage over their competition when it’s time to recruit the next generation.

Read more about the benefits of starting the recruitment process early in College Recruiting: Go Beyond Career Fairs.