Career Fair Organizers Orientation 2013-2014

Presenters: Colin Codner, Assistant Director for Student Activities and FinanceDeborah Liverman, Director, GECD Career ServicesTamara Menghi, Associate Director, Employer Relations & Career Programs, GECD Career Services

Privilege of Organizing a MIT Career Fair• MIT is unique in that student groups organize large career fairs.

But ultimately, MIT is responsible for your group’s actions and adherence to all policies and laws.

• We have higher expectations for student groups’ organization of career fairs.

• Relationships with employers are important and goes beyond your one event.

Relationship between Fair Organizers and MIT Departments

• Student Activities Office (SAO) and Global Education and Career Development (GECD) are the advisors for all student run career fairs.

• GECD and SAO approves all new and existing career fairs and are the key contacts within MIT

• GECD and SAO assists with the organization of career fairs and are here to help your group.

Professional Relations

• Correspondence– 2 Business Days – Create an auto-response to your fair’s email address so that

employers know when they can expect a response.

• Payment– Net 30– Deposits

Financial Information • Requisition / Purchase Order

• Travel Payments / Reimbursements

• RFPs

• Purchasing Card

•SAVE ALL RECEIPTS

Financial Information • Checks

• Bank Transfers

• Invoice System– Cost object– Invoice identification system

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

http://www.naceweb.org/principles/#careerservices• Career services professionals will provide comparable services to all

employers, regardless of whether the employers contribute services, gifts, or financial support to the educational institution or office and regardless of the level of such support.

• Employers recruiting for work outside of the United States are expected to adhere to the equal Principles for Career Services Professionals employment opportunity (EEO) policy and U.S. labor law policies of the career services office. They will advise the career services office and the students of the realities of working in that country and of any cultural and employment law differences.

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

http://www.naceweb.org/principles/#careerservices

• Notifying employing organizations of any selection procedures that appear

to have an adverse impact based upon the student’s race, color, national

origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability;

Recruiting PoliciesGeneral• Recruiting at MIT is available to employers who do not

unlawfully discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

• Serving alcohol should not be part of the recruitment process. This includes information sessions, presentations done on or off campus, and all events that are company-sponsored during the recruiting process.

• Employers knowingly violating MIT recruiting policies may receive deferred interview dates or be denied access to the recruiting program for the following season. In addition, students will be notified of employers who violate MIT recruiting policies.

Recruiting Policies

Interviewing• Employers must provide reasonable time for scheduling

campus and off-campus interviews to accommodate student schedules.

• Invitations for campus second-round interviews must be given a minimum of 72 hours in advance.

• Off-campus second-round interviews should be scheduled no sooner than seven days after the student's initial interview.

Recruiting Policies

Offers• Employers must refrain from improperly influencing job

acceptances. (Ex. undue time pressure for acceptance of offer, encouragement of revocation of another employment offer.)

• No special incentive should be provided to induce early acceptance of an offer, nor should students be given “exploding offers”, offers that expire quickly, provide reduction in offer package, or put unreasonable pressure on students.

• Offers should include a start date, typically between graduation and mid-September at the latest.

Working with EmployersGuidelines

• Defer all matters regarding hiring MIT students for internships or fulltime positions to GECD. Do no make any promises to employers regarding hiring interns or fulltime positions.

• Provide up-to-date information on your organization’s website regarding Career Fair related events, info sessions or interviewing opportunities being provided.

• Inform employers of different participation rates and benefits associated with each rate (sponsor vs. non-sponsor rates and benefits)– Please provide clear payment instructions to employers.

Working with EmployersGuidelines cont.

• Provide employers advance notice of changes and confirmation of career fair events and activities.

• Provide MIT’s recruiting policies to participating employers and post on fair website.

• Guide employers to appropriate resources at the end of your Career Fair event. (Ex. GECD Career Services for Recruiting Needs, Conference Services for company presentation needs, etc.)

GECD Resources• Staffing for Events and Workshops

• 3 - 4 weeks advance notice required

• GECD Interview Space• Submit requests prior to the opening of on campus recruiting

reservation sign-ups for employers. See on campus recruiting calendar. Use of space during on campus recruiting periods dependent on availability.

• Advance notice required by completing the “GECD Recruiting Cubicles Reservation Request Form”

• Fees will be charged for use of space and staffing

GECD Resources• CareerBridge

• Event registration page • Card swipe system for tracking attendees day of event• Mass email to employers appropriate for your fair.

• GECD Marketing Tools• GECD Career Fair page listing

http://gecd.mit.edu/employers/career_fair • Digital Display postings

http://gecd.mit.edu/employers/plan/advertise/digital_display

• Guidance in working with Employers and Student Groups

Wrap-up & Transition • Do some type of assessment of the event with organizers.

• Create documentation for next year.

• Let us know who the contacts for next year will be so that we can communicate with them early on.

• Create an auto-response to your fair’s email address that alerts employers of when details of next year’s fair will be available.– Also include how frequent the fair’s email will be checked

now that the career fair is over.

• Register next year’s fair in advance of on campus recruiting reservation dates for employers. GECD Recruiting Calendar: http://gecd.mit.edu/employers/schedule/calendar

In case of Emergency…

Emergencies Include:• Severe weather • Facilities issues (electricity outage, flooding, etc.) • Safety issues in Cambridge / Boston• MIT closings

Emergency Expectations Include:

• Fair Organizers must create a plan B and submit it to GECD/SAO at the point of registering a career fair. Emergency considerations:– Alternative dates for the fair– Alternative locations for the fair– How reimbursements would run if fair was cancelled

• Fairs must abide by all MIT decisions on emergencies. http://emergency.mit.edu/emergency/

• Fair organizers must inform GECD / SAO immediately of any decisions based on emergency situations.