Recruiting Policies

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), is the governing body for colleges and employers in the recruiting process. NACE has policies set in place to protect the students, colleges and employers.  Please view and abide by the Principles for Professional Practice policies. 

 

EMPLOYER JOB POSTING and RECRUITING POLICIES

The following policies are subject to change. Updates will be posted on this Web site.
Southern Miss Career Services expects all employers to adhere to the following guidelines from the National Association of Colleges and Employers:

Employment professionals will maintain equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and follow affirmative action principles in recruiting activities in a manner that includes the following:

a) Recruiting, interviewing, and hiring individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability, and providing reasonable accommodations upon request;
b) Reviewing selection criteria for adverse impact based upon the student's race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability;
c) Avoiding questions that are considered unacceptable by EEO guidelines for fair employment practices during the recruiting process;
d) Developing a sensitivity to, and awareness of, cultural differences and the diversity of the work force;
e) Informing campus constituencies of special activities that have been developed to achieve the employer's affirmative action goals;
f) Investigating complaints forwarded by the career services office regarding EEO noncompliance and seeking resolution of such complaints.

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) 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 or hourly (not 100% commission) and does not require the candidate to pay a fee for training, equipment, application procedures or other job-related expenses.
• Internship - a paid or non-paid structured work experience, directly related to a student's major and students do 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 (PDF) for more information.
• Part-time – an hourly, salaried position (not commission), located within 60 miles of a Southern Miss campus.
• 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 requested 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 requested 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. 

INTERNSHIPS

The Fair Labor Standards Act, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, provides criteria for what is and is not legal regarding payment for internships. Seven factors must be considered when determining if an internship can be unpaid:

1. The extent to which the intern and the employer clearly understand that there is no expectation of compensation. Any promise of compensation, express or implied, suggests that the intern is an employee—and vice versa.

2. The extent to which the internship provides training that would be similar to that which would be given in an educational environment, including the clinical and other hands-on training provided by educational institutions.

3. The extent to which the internship is tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.

4. The extent to which the internship accommodates the intern’s academic commitments by corresponding to the academic calendar.

5. The extent to which the internship’s duration is limited to the period in which the internship provides the intern with beneficial learning.

6. The extent to which the intern’s work complements, rather than displaces, the work of paid employees while providing significant educational benefits to the intern.

7. The extent to which the intern and the employer understand that the internship is conducted without entitlement to a paid job at the conclusion of the internship.

For more information: U.S. Department of Labor

 

POSTING JOBS
Southern Miss Career Services maintains a free job posting service on Handshake, our online career center. Handshake also includes a student and alumni database, an employer database, and on-campus interview schedules. Southern Miss Career Services reserves the right to limit the number of contacts per company and/or restrict access to some sections of Handshake. Create an Employer Account or Log in Now.

ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING
Request a date for on-campus interviews through Handshake (after you log in, click on 'Interviews' and 'Request Interview Schedule') or call our office at 601-266-4153. Employers are strongly encouraged to contact Career Services at least 6 weeks before their campus visit, to ensure ample time to market your opportunty to students and alumni. 
Changes to an interview schedule, such as the day and/or time of the interviews, must be made by the employer at least 2 weeks prior to the interview date. Changes requested after this date may require the employer to contact all of the candidates on the interview schedule.

A pre-select schedule allows employers to collect resumes before their campus visit and from this candidate pool, select people to interview. All candidates must be registered and submit their resumes on Handshake, our online career center. The employer must make their decisions through their Handshake account or submit a list of selected candidates to our office. This allows time for our office to coordinate the interview schedule.

An open schedule is set up on a first-come, first-served basis. All Southern Miss students and alumni who are registered with our office can sign up for an interview.

WHAT TO EXPECT THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEWS:
 •  A parking space will be reserved for your company in front of McLemore Hall or Scianna Hall (a.k.a. College of Business), based on the location of your interviews. Campus Map
• If you have made any changes or additions to your schedule, please provide an updated list of candidates you will interview.
• Please complete an evaluation form before you leave and offer suggestions for ways we can help with your recruiting efforts. Use of campus facilities coordinated by Southern Miss Career Services may be used solely for the purpose of speaking with Southern Miss student and alumni about job opportunities.

THIRD PARTY RECRUITERS
Third party recruiters are defined as agencies or organizations who recruit candidates for other organizations. Third Party recruiters will not be granted access to Handshake.