My program is structured so that my 7th semester out of 8 will be for exchange. It will be the fall semester of my senior year.
Is that a bad idea though considering full time recruitment is happening while I am away from the scene?
Well, it won’t help you, that’s for sure! I did not start job hunting until spring semester of my senior year, and of the three companies to which I actually applied, one turned me down because they had already filled their hiring needs during the fall! That having been said, just about anything is survivable if you have enough of an edge on your competition. Work hard, get a strong GPA and some decent experience, and there will still be job offers to be had when you get back.