The policies and guidelines in this document provide an overview of how recruiting works through the Alvernia Office of Career Development. Please contact Career Development with any questions.
NACE Principles for Professional Practice
The Alvernia University Office of Career Development endorses the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Principles for Career Services and Employment Professionals. Employers who use our services when recruiting, posting jobs, or attending events are expected to do likewise. These principles are outlined below. (Source:
NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice - Updated October 2019)
Practice reasonable, responsible, and transparent behavior:
- that consciously avoids harmful actions by embodying high ethical standards.
- by clearly articulating and widely disseminating your organization’s policies and guidelines.
- that guarantees equitable services for all constituencies.
- that is commensurate with professional association standards and principles.
- when resolving differences and addressing concerns.
- by nurturing sustainable relationships that are respectful and transcend transactions.
Act without bias:
- when advising, servicing, interviewing, or making employment decisions.
- when defining what constitutes employment.
Ensure equitable access:
- without stipulation or exception relative to contributions of financial support, gifts, affiliation, or in-kind services.
- in the provision of services and opportunities without discriminating on the basis of race, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, age, economic status, or veteran status.
- by proactively addressing inclusivity and diversity.
Comply with laws:
- associated with local, state, and federal entities, including but not limited to EEO compliance, immigration, and affirmative action.
- in a timely and appropriate way if complaints of non-compliance occur.
- and respond to complaints of non-compliance in a timely and prudent manner.
Protect confidentiality of:
- all personal information related to candidates and their interviews, and their engagement with services, programs, and resources.
- student information related to professional plans.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines
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Employers who recruit Alvernia students and alumni must allow people from all backgrounds and identities to access opportunities at their organization by adhering to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines (source). It is illegal for an employer to:
- Publish a job advertisement that shows a preference for or discourages someone from applying for a job because of their race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Recruit new employees in a way that discriminates against them because of their race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Discriminate against a job applicant because of their race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Consider a person's race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information when making decisions about job referrals.
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
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Employers will guard the privacy of student data in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (source). The Office of Career Development staff shares students’ information only in line with FERPA.
- FERPA protects the privacy of students by restricting access to records that contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII), which could include students’ names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, fingerprints, and names of parents.
- FERPA does not permit the disclosure of PII from education records without consent, except under certain exceptions. In general, an educational institution may not provide an employer, headhunter, or other employment agency with a student’s resume or confidential letter of reference that contains protected educational information unless approval is first obtained from the student.
- FERPA requires that Reasonable Methods be used to protect the integrity and security of student data.
- FERPA does permit the disclosure of certain types of PII that is previously designated as Directory Information. In general, directory information would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.
- Employer Registration and Job / Internship Postings
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To participate in recruiting at Alvernia University, it is required that you register your company on Handshake, our recruiting management system. If you already use Handshake to recruit at other colleges or universities, a new account is not necessary. However, your organization will need to request approval from Alvernia.
New Handshake Users: If you do not have a Handshake account set up, you can use this link to get started. Here is a guide from Handshake about how to get started with an employer profile. Note: You may need to be approved as a member of your organization in Handshake (or you might have to create an account for your whole organization) before you can request approval for your jobs and internships at Alvernia.
Existing Handshake Users: Log in to your current account and click on Schools on the left hand menu. Select Find Schools and search for Alvernia University. Select Request Approval. Be sure to read the guidelines below to improve your chances of being approved in our network. All employers must be deemed a legitimate organization by providing the following information on the Handshake employer registration page:
- business name
- name and information of a current company contact
- physical address
- domain/company based email account
- phone number
- website link
Postings through Handshake are not a right guaranteed to any employer. All postings are at the discretion of the Office of Career Development. Employer accounts may not be approved if:
- Contact has not provided the above information or complied with the Alvernia University Recruiting Policies
- Legitimacy of company/organization cannot be verified through an online search and/or organization does not have a developed web presence with a detailed web site
- Organization is an online resource for the purpose of promoting networking and job opportunities, including career information websites and job seeker resources
- Email address is a personal account (Gmail, Comcast, etc.) instead an email with a company domain
- Position requires work in a private home for childcare, yard work, moving, painting, maintenance, etc.
- Some jobs are posted that are classified as temporary, part-time, or seasonal opportunities (see instructions for posting part-time/seasonal/camp jobs later in this document).
Employer accounts and/or job postings will receive additional screening and/or not be approved if they contain:
- Positions that pay in cash, compensation in the form of merchandise or other non-monetary compensation
- Commission-only positions not requiring a bachelor’s degree
- Positions that require candidates to act in a student ambassador or campus representative role to solicit, sell, promote, and/or give away products or services on campus or door-to-door in the community
- Positions that require out-of-pocket expenses or investment from the candidate
- Positions that require candidates to recruit other members or sub-distributors
- Positions that require funding/money for supplies and/or training but do not state the financial obligation
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- Internships
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- Paid vs. Unpaid: The Office of Career Development encourages employers to appropriately compensate students for the work that they perform during an internship. We expect that all employers abide by the standards established by the Fair Labor Standards Act (source). Positions which appear to violate these standards will not be approved.
- Academic Credit: Approval of internship opportunities for academic credit occurs between the student and their academic department.
- More information is available in the Career Development Internship Guidelines and Internship Toolkit for Employers documents.
- Third-Party Recruiters
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Third-party recruiters are identified as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs. The Office of Career Development tends not to promote opportunities advertised by third-party recruiters, although sometimes an exception will be made. Third-party recruiters must abide by the NACE Principles for Professional Practice with some additional considerations.
Third-party recruiters must:- Identify themselves to Career Development staff and students as such
- Provide a position description for valid openings
- Identify, should it be requested, information regarding the nature of the relationship between the agency and the employer and permit Career Development to verify this information by contacting the hiring company
- Not charge an application fee
- Respect the privacy of student/candidate information (in alignment with FERPA) and not disclose such information for any reasons other than the original recruiting purposes
** This information cannot be sold or provided to other entities. Students must give consent prior to the disclosure of any student information outside of the third-party recruiting organization and the company that they represent. The third-party recruiters will disclose to students/candidates the name(s) of the client(s) to whom the students’/candidates’ credentials will be revealed
- Investment in Recruiting Products
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Employing organizations requiring a financial investment on the part of students to participate in an internship or fulltime position (e.g., the purchase of a demonstration package or payment for a required training program) will do so only if students have the opportunity to rent necessary equipment/materials and/or students are fully informed on the amount and specific uses of required fees as well as whether or not a reimbursement policy exists.
Commission-Only Opportunities
Employers with commission-only opportunities must explicitly state the precise nature of the work and the compensation in their job posting and all correspondence with candidates.
Recruiting Opportunities Involving Solicitation on Campus
The Office of Career Development will not promote job and/or internship opportunities that require students to act in a student ambassador or campus representative role to solicit, sell, promote, and/or give away products or services on campus. This policy is in response to the Alvernia University Non-Solicitation Policy (as outlined in the Alvernia University Student Handbook).
Foreign-Based Firms
Employers that are foreign-based firms with no U.S. locations and third-party recruiters who represent foreign-based firms with no U.S. locations will not be eligible to recruit through the Office of Career Development.
- Some Part-Time, Volunteer, Seasonal, and Camp Jobs
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Some part-time, volunteer, seasonal, and camp jobs may be approved through Handshake, although Handshake is mainly for internships and full-time opportunities. Decisions are made by considering these points:
- Positions will not be approved if they require work in a private home for childcare, yard work, moving, painting, maintenance, etc.
- Because of where Alvernia students tend to live, approval is more likely for positions within 50 miles of Reading, Schuylkill, or Philadelphia
For jobs involving childcare, yard work, maintenance, or similar work, Alvernia recommends using QuadJobs to advertise part-time or seasonal job opportunities to students. For a small fee, Quad Jobs allows organizations and individuals to post positions and be in charge of their own interviewing and hiring process. Sign up here, customize the profile of the individual/organization, and begin posting available positions using only a job description. All postings are approved at the discretion of the QuadJobs team.
Rights of the Office of Career Development
The Alvernia Office of Career Development reserves the right to investigate complaints by students, alumni, and/or faculty regarding job postings, employers, or work assignments. If it is determined that the complaint is justified, the office may choose not to post positions or allow the recruiting representatives the opportunity to recruit at Alvernia.
We reserve the right to make exceptions to our policies for situations we deem to be acceptable and beneficial to our students, our department, or recruiters using our service. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and do not constitute a change in policy, or a decision that this exception will be made again in the future.
