A hot job market and the lifting of the COVID pandemic is motivating companies and universities to return to a springtime passage of senior year: in-person job fairs.

These are not your father's career fairs, The Wall Street Journal reports. To stand out from the competition, recruiters are holding select meetings in venues with a "wow factor," like the presidential suite of a college football stadium.

To appeal to the sensibilities of these members of Generation Z, i.e., those born between 1997 and 2012, ages 10 to 25, would-be employers are also hosting speed networking events and putting short videos and fellow alumni in front of recruits. Social media has also become a critical hiring tool.

Out in Texas, Tesla, John Hancock, McKinsey and Travelers Cos. are some of the leading companies looking for the right young people. They're honing in on students with standout career goals, grades, activities and majors.

After two-plus years of a pandemic, virtual classes and Zoom meetings, the chance to finally interact with recruiters and executives in person is a novel experience for college seniors. They're finding that they need to be polished and presentable — and they are relishing the opportunity to network and up their game.

Early and informational sessions are continuing virtually, however, especially among companies with limited travel and hiring budgets. Forty percent of employers are augmenting their in-person job fairs virtually, according to Veris Insights.

In fact, McKinsey Associate Director of Recruiting Kristin Altenburg says virtual interviews are enabling the consultancy to recruit from a wider range of schools this year than ever before.

Landing one's first job after college, and doing it in person, is a rite of passage that, post-pandemic, appears to have returned. Let's hope colleges and companies keep it that way.