Position statement on campus recruiting

No endorsement of employing organizations is expressed or implied

Career and Professional Development at Virginia Tech provides and supports opportunities for students to explore and pursue a wide variety of career options. Among the opportunities afforded students are job postings, recruitment visits, and career fairs, all of which bring hundreds of prospective employers — including for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies — to campus each year. Most of the career fairs on campus are sponsored and hosted by academic colleges and departments, or by student organizations, at Virginia Tech. Career and Professional Development advertises these events and helps to prepare students to learn the job search skills to be successful at these events. Career and Professional Development also hosts prospective employers in our facilities throughout the academic year so that these employers can conduct interviews with students through the On Campus Interviewing program, and Career and Professional Development enables employers to post jobs for students through Handshake.

Providing space for prospective employers on our public campus, and enabling employers to post jobs, does not imply an endorsement of the missions or activities of any visiting or posting organization. As an academic institution, we strongly encourage students to research information and options in order to make informed employment choices.

Jobs in the marijuana/cannabis industry: Virginia Tech will not approve job opportunities, (job postings or on-campus interviewing), for employers involved in the manufacturing, distribution, or possession of marijuana or the marijuana industry.

Expectations of employers

Employing organizations that recruit Virginia Tech students are expected to follow the Principles for Ethical Professional Practice established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Students who believe an employer has not acted in accordance with professional standards in the job search process are asked to please contact us to discuss the matter.

Expectations of students

Career and Professional Development expects students who are conducting a job search — whether for an internship, cooperative education position, or post-graduation position — to conduct themselves in an ethical and responsible manner.

Specifically:

• Students should attend scheduled interviews.
• Students should never use a real interview for practice.
  
• Students should not renege after accepting an employment offer.

For more information, see the Cancellation and Missed Interview policy and the ethical issues related to accepting a job offer.

More about never using a real interview for the purpose of practice:

• Students should apply for positions and employers that truly interest you. 
• Never sign up for a real interview for the purpose of practice. 
• Your practice should occur before the real interview, and we offer practice interviews. 
• Employers spend thousands of dollars each year to send recruiters to campus to interview students, with each recruiter being able to interview 10-13 students in one day. 
• Employers can tell if you are not genuinely interested, and they consider this an abuse of their time. 
• A student who does not have a real interest in that position/employer is stealing that interview slot from another student who is truly interested. 

Employers who believe a student has not acted in accordance with these expectations are asked to please contact us.

Contact for students and employers relating to this policy

Mr. Jim Henderson
Associate Director for Employer Relations
jim.henderson@vt.edu
540-231-8079