About Us

The following policies are subject to change. 

Services are limited to currently registered, degree seeking students and alumni of The University of Southern Mississippi.  Alumni accounts in Handshake will remain active for a period of six months after graduation date. Alumni can request reinstatement by contacting Career Services. 

STUDENT/ALUMNI PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

As a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Career Services observes the following principles for professional conduct.

Student and alumni obligations include: providing accurate information; adhering to interview schedules; accepting an offer of employment in good faith; notifying employers on a timely basis of acceptance or withdrawal from the recruitment process after an offer of employment; and interviewing only with employers for whom candidates are interested in working with and whose eligibility requirements they meet.

RECRUITING POLICY

The National Association of Colleges and Employers provides the following guidelines:

Southern Miss Career Services offers recruiting services to employers who are hiring Southern Miss students and alumni for bona fide* employment opportunities.

Services include part-time, full-time, internship and co-op postings; on-campus interviews and information sessions; information tables; and career and job fairs.

* A bona fide job is defined as a professional position, which is salaried or hourly (not 100% commission), or approved unpaid internship, and does not require the candidate to pay a fee for training, equipment, application procedures or other job-related expenses.

Position Definitions

• Full-time - Must require at least a 4-year college degree and be a salaried professional career position.
• Internship - a paid or non-paid structured work experience, directly related to a student's major, and students may earn academic credit for this experience.
• Co-op – a paid structured work experience, directly related to a student's major and students do not earn academic credit for this experience. Please refer to our Employer Co-op Handbook available at https://www.usm.edu/sites/default/files/groups/career-services/pdf/employer_co-op_handbook.pdf for more information.
• Part-time – an hourly, salaried position (not commission).
• Odd job – short-term jobs, such as moving furniture or yard work

Policies of Southern Miss Career Services

• Acts as a referral service only and is not liable for any problems incurred as a result of such referrals.
• Can verify a student's class schedule or GPA to ensure the student meets requirements as outlined in the job description, but does not perform any pre-employment screening, such as background checks, reference checks, credit checks, typing tests, or drug screens.
• Posts full-time, internship, and co-op jobs for a maximum of 60 days.
• In addition to the policies listed above, the following policies also apply to part-time positions:
  • Employers are required to disclose the pay rate; this information is required by the federal aid program funding this service. At the employer's request, we will not post pay rates publicly.
  • Employers are required to submit placement data, consisting of the student's name and pay rate, if they hire a Southern Miss student. This information is required by the federal aid program funding this service.
  • When a position is filled, please notify our office as soon as possible. Job openings are checked on a bi-weekly basis and if we are unable to confirm the position status after three attempts, the job will be inactivated.
  • By registering and posting with Career Services, employers are expected to comply with all federal, Affirmative Action, and Equal Opportunity laws https://www.usm.edu/affirmative-action-equal-employment/index.php,  and The University of Southern Mississippi Career Services policies as stated above.

Third Party Recruiters

• Third party recruiters will not be granted access to Handshake.

ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS

If you do not show up for an on-campus interview, you will be classified as a no-show . Failure to keep interview appointments deprives other individuals of interviews, wastes the recruiter's time, and creates an unfavorable image of Southern Miss students and alumni.

If you are unable to attend an interview, you are required to CALL our office at least two working days prior to the interview. This allows time to fill the available slot with someone from the waiting list. If selected for an interview, failure to schedule the interview or decline the offer within 48 hours (2 business days) will result in your Handshake account being inactivated.

If you miss an on-campus interview for any reason, access to your Handshake account will immediately be blocked and you will have 10 working days from the date of your interview to write a letter of apology to the employer.  You must bring the letter, along with a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to the Career Services reception desk in McLemore Hall, Room 125. If you fail to submit the letter as directed, your Handshake profile will be blocked and any upcoming interviews will be canceled until you meet with either the director or assistant director of Career Services.  You must bring the letter of apology to that appointment.  Two no-shows on your record will terminate your on-campus interviewing privileges for one year.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY 

The University of Southern Mississippi offers students equal access to all educational and programmatic activities that the university sponsors.  Students and employees participating in any University-sponsored program – including exchange programs, study abroad, cooperative learning experiences, field placement internships or student teaching – retain all rights and privileges in these off-campus experiences. Similarly, they also are responsible for all university codes of conduct, including consensual relationships, alcohol use, etc.

Employees and students who believe they are being treated differently in these settings because of age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, gender identity, genetic information, religion, race, color, national origin, and/or veteran status may contact the office of Affirmative Action/EEO.