The bootcamp era is over. Companies are chasing elite college grads again.

In a cooling job market, prestige is helping some elite college graduates stand out.

Getty Images

• The hiring slowdown has made it harder for even elite college graduates to land jobs.
• But as employers grow more selective, the prestige of an Ivy League degree can still pay off.
• Some employers have narrowed their recruiting to a select group of schools.

For a few years, a hot job market cast doubt on the need for an elite college diploma. In a tough job market, that trend is reversing.