We partner with our students throughout the recruiting process to ensure that they have sufficient time to engage in the recruiting process, and to assist with questions throughout the decision-making process - especially understanding the consequences of reneging. Reneging is highly discouraged as it can have unintended consequences for both the student and the center by eroding the relationship with the employer. 

The Brown Center for Career Exploration (CCE) staff are here to help alleviate  pressure throughout this process. If you are in a situation where you are considering reneging on an offer, please make an appointment with a Career Counselor in Handshake, or email careercenter@brown.edu for assistance. 

Students who use the services of the Center for Career Exploration and the Handshake platform understand that honesty and integrity throughout the personal and professional development and job/internship search process reflects on their character. Students will provide accurate information in all materials and actions in the pursuit of a meaningful personal and professional future.

By engaging with Recruiting and the Center for Career Exploration, students must commit to timely communication with employers and Center staff. Students should acknowledge phone calls, emails, invitations for interviews and events, and any other correspondence relating to offers and employer onboarding in a timely manner. This generally means following up within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends. These standards are expected by our employer partners and they will hold students accountable to them.

As the usage of AI tools continues to rise, please be mindful of how you utilize these tools while engaging in recruiting activities:

• Preparing application materials: If you are using AI to assist in crafting application materials like your resume and cover letter, it is very important to ensure they are personalized, accurate, and relevant to the job and company to which you are applying. 
• During an interview: The use of AI tools during an interview to respond to questions is highly discouraged. Some common behaviors interviewers notice when AI is used during an interview are eye movements, the use of overly formal language, generic responses, and inconsistent knowledge. 

If you need assistance developing your resume or cover letter, stop by PCA open hours at the Center, or email the PCA’s at peercareeradvisors@brown.edu. If you would like to practice your interview skills, schedule an appointment using Handshake with one of the Career Counselors.

Students are expected to act responsibly and professionally both in virtual and in-person settings with employers. Plan ahead to avoid unnecessary delays (such as Wi-Fi connections, time zone confusion, platform compatibility and / or links, etc.). Be sure to test everything in advance, note the meeting time, and have a way to email or text your contact person in case you have last-minute difficulties. The same cancellation policies apply for both virtual and in-person events.

OFFERS FOR JOB & INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

• Employers are asked to provide students with a decision window of 3 - 4 weeks from the time the offer is extended. The offer must be sent to the student in writing within 3 days. We strongly encourage employers to permit students to participate in recruitment activities and allow student candidates sufficient time to explore their career options before deciding whether or not to accept offers for internships or full-time employment. Employers are asked to consider requests for additional flexibility on a case-by-case basis. 
• Our office recognizes that there are times when a job offer and start date are less than 4 weeks apart; in those cases we ask employers to offer a reasonable amount of time (at least 48 hours and up to 1 week) for students to consider the opportunity. 

We understand you may encounter challenges with offer deadlines. If you receive an offer from an employer and would like to request an extension, we advise that students first attempt to reach out to the person who extended them the offer to explain their request for an extension on the deadline. You may also refer to and share the “Offers for Employment Timetable” within the  Employer Recruiting Policies & Guidelines as needed with employers. Please understand that this is a guideline and we are unable to force an employer to abide by that timetable. 

If you have additional questions, we at the CCE are here to help. Please email the Employer Partnerships team.

Student safety is our priority. We expect employers to take the health and safety of our students into consideration when scheduling interviews and offer a virtual option, if requested. 

We understand that at times scheduling and travel required for recruiting may conflict with a student's course schedule, exam schedule, or other academic or extracurricular commitments. The Center encourages employers to provide alternate dates without negative consequences for interviews (especially "Super Days" and second or final round interviews) if the date originally suggested conflicts with a student's academic commitments or other valid campus obligations. 

In the event of conflicts, students should reach out directly to employers to ask for flexibility in the recruiting process or alternate scheduling of recruiting activities. In the event that employers aren't able to be flexible, students should strive to communicate conflicts to professors, coaches, and advisors as far in advance as possible. Please note that the College does not provide Dean's notes in the event that a student needs to miss class, an exam, or another academic obligation in order to participate in an interview or recruiting activity.  As mentioned above it is important that students communicate conflicts with their professors and it is up to their discretion whether they can provide flexibility. If you need help or support in advocating for yourself with an employer or faculty member, please schedule a meeting with a Career Counselor or a Peer Career Advisor.  Please understand that the Center will not intervene directly with a faculty member on your behalf, but can help with your communications.

When an employer extends a verbal offer of employment, a written offer of employment with the same terms and conditions should be issued within 3 days of the verbal offer. We encourage students not to accept a verbal offer prior to reviewing the written offer. In addition, the four week date of offer countdown cannot begin until the written offer is extended.

Brown Center for Career Exploration defines an exploding offer as: Any offer that has special incentives attached, such as diminishing bonuses, location or job preferences, for purposes of inducing early acceptance. Exploding offers are strictly prohibited. Any offer made to students must remain “whole” during the consideration period, including any monetary incentives.

If students receive exploding offers (which is different from an offer with a short decision deadline) they can contact the Employer Partnerships team and the situation will remain confidential. The center will outline steps to help you negotiate all offers outside of deadlines listed above.

Once an employment offer has been accepted (written), students should withdraw all outstanding applications, cancel any scheduled interviews, and discontinue their job/internship search. We strongly discourage reneging on the acceptance of an offer as it can have unintended consequences for both the student and the Center by eroding the relationship with the employer. Reneging also means you may have taken an opportunity away from another student who would have accepted. Please be aware that employers may maintain records on past applicants for future reference. 

Students who have difficulty deciding or need more time to consider an offer are strongly encouraged to contact the Center for Career Exploration and speak with the Employer Partnerships team or a Career Counselor.

In accordance with guidelines established by NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), there should be no consumption of alcohol by candidates during the recruiting process. Employers should not offer alcohol to candidates. Any violation should be reported to the Center for Career Exploration immediately using the Recruiting Policy Violation form.  If you report a violation, the Center will not share your identity with an employer. 

If a student violates any aspect of the Student Policies, they may be blocked from the campus recruiting program immediately, including indefinite suspension from Handshake. Under a few circumstances, reinstatement may occur. In order to be reinstated, a student must:

1. Meet with the Center for Career Exploration Associate Director and determine that there was an acceptable reason for violating Student Policy. 
2. Communicate directly with the employer and apologize.

Again, if you have any questions about these guidelines and policies, please contact us at recruiting@brown.edu.