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On-Campus Interviews

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On-Campus Interviews

Our On-Campus Interview Program offers an opportunity to interview for entry-level positions, internships and co-ops. Representatives from a variety of organizations conduct interviews at the Career Center during the fall and spring semesters. All students are encouraged to begin interviewing in the fall semesters whether they graduate in December, May or August.

You will log in to Handshake to apply for interviews and you will be notified by email if you are selected. The On-Campus Interview Timetable is available when you log into your Handshake account and shows the deadlines to apply and sign-up if you are selected. You will want to check these weekly to see the new on-campus opportunities that have been added.

Logging into your Handshake account and click Jobs, then On-Campus Interviews in the top navigation bar to get an idea of the kinds of opportunities available. Although companies may indicate a preference for certain majors, you are encouraged to consider all the jobs for which you believe you are qualified. It is not uncommon for employers to interview students whose majors do not match the employers' specified requirements.

On-Campus Interview Policies

In order for the On-Campus Interview Program to work effectively, all parties must meet certain obligations. Employers invest substantial time and money in recruitment efforts, so it is extremely important that students treat every interview as a commitment. Missed interviews are a very serious concern because they lower the employer's impressions of our campus and take away other students' opportunities.

Scheduling an interview with an employer and not showing up for the interview is considered a "MISSED INTERVIEW." Individuals with a missed interview will be blocked from applying for and scheduling future interviews. If you have interviews previously scheduled, be sure to attend those interviews!

The Career Center has implemented a set of recommended employer guidelines for internship and full-time offers. The following guidelines were created by the Career Center to establish equitable timeframes for students and employers in the recruiting process at OU. It is in the mutual best interests of our students and employers to allow adequate timeframes for students to make information-based and experience-based employment decisions. Doing so requires the opportunity for students to explore a full range of employers before making a commitment. Our hope is that these guidelines will enhance the recruiting experience for both students and recruiting organizations as well as minimize instances of reneged offers.

Please note: The following guidelines do not prohibit employers from extending early offers.  They are also not intended to discourage students who have clarity about their options and are ready to make a decision from accepting an offer early-on in the recruiting process.  The OU Career Center subscribes to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Practice for all recruiting practices, including their policy statement on Reasonable Offer Deadlines.

•For internship and full-time offers extended as a result of the fall campus recruiting process, offers should remain open until the third (3rd) Friday in October.  This timeline will enable students to fully participate in the recruiting process before being required to make a decision.

•For offers extended during the academic year outside of the fall on-campus interviewing period, employers are encouraged to give students a minimum of two weeks to accept an offer.  For offers extended to current summer interns, employers are encouraged to give students until the third (3rd) Friday in October to make a decision.  Additional time may be requested by the student and granted at the discretion of the employer.

If you fail to cancel and do not appear for a scheduled interview, you will receive a letter, which will be copied to your department head, directing you to write a letter of apology to the employer and deliver it unsealed to the Career Center with a stamped envelope addressed to the employer. Your opportunity to apply or sign up for additional On-Campus Interviews will be suspended until your letter is received by the Career Center. Repeated occurrences will result in termination of your On-Campus Interview privileges.

 

 

If you need to cancel a scheduled interview after the sign-up period, you must contact the Career Center in person or by phone ASAP. Excessive cancellations will result in suspension and possible termination of your On-Campus Interview privileges.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

The On-Campus Interviewing program represents only a segment of the job market. The opportunities available through the program are determined largely by market demand. Some career fields are well represented; others are not. Although there are exceptions, the typical employer participating in On-Campus Interviewing tends to hire a number of college graduates each year and tends to plan hiring needs well in advance. Employers in other fields and with different hiring needs tend to use other methods of recruitment and hiring.

To get an idea of the kinds of opportunities available through On-Campus Interviewing, login to your Handshake account. Although companies may indicate a preference for certain majors, you're encouraged to consider all the jobs for which you believe you're qualified. It is not uncommon for employers to interview students whose majors do not match the employers' specified requirements.

1. Larger organizations that:

  • need more employees
  • know or can reasonably predict their recruiting needs well in advance
  • have the budget and the staff to send recruiters to campus for interviews

2. Smaller organizations that:

  • are local or regional
  • are located in places to which a large number of OU graduates would be willing to go

3. Organizations that have hired OU graduates in the past and know the value of an OU degree

Recruiting on campus costs employers time and money, so whether or not to use On-Campus Interviewing is an economic decision. Generally, in career fields in which demand for job candidates exceeds the supply, employers will make the effort to recruit on campus through On-Campus Interviewing. Generally, in career fields in which the supply of job seekers exceeds jobs available, the job seekers must take the initiative to seek out employers; thus there is less need for these types of employers to recruit through On-Campus Interviewing.

  • Employers who fill positions as they come open usually need to advertise and fill positions quickly -- On-Campus Interviewing does not serve this purpose.
  • Smaller organizations often do not have the personnel and the funds to recruit on campus.
  • Geographically distant, smaller, or regional organizations are less likely to have the incentive to recruit on campus or seek out students at OU. 
    Students who are targeting employers in a distant location will typically need to use job search strategies other than On-Campus Interviewing.
  • Certain career fields are not represented in On-Campus Interviewing because it's simply not the traditional way for those employers to do hiring. (For example, you typically will not find social service occupations, broadcasting positions, or graphic arts positions listed in On-Campus Interviewing.) Other job search strategies are used to seek those types of jobs.
  • Most employers who do not use On-Campus Interviewing do use the Handshake Job Board.

Students who are:

  • pursuing jobs in career fields that are represented in On-Campus Interviewing such as: technical, scientific, engineering, computer-related, business, sales, accounting, financial services, marketing, and management. (There are others, but these represent the majority.)
  • somewhat geographically flexible, as opposed to targeting a specific or very distant location.

Students who have:

  • a positive attitude. Looking for a job is hard work and most people will experience some discouragement along the way.
  • above average credentials and initiative. Aside from specific qualifications for specific jobs, employers look at extra-curricular leadership and involvement, work experience that shows exposure to the real world, basic computer skills at minimum, good communication and interpersonal skills, and GPA. Students who are not necessarily at the head of the pack in all these areas can make up for it with initiative -- for example, by attendinng Employer Spotlights. 

The Career Center does not screen student GPAs for On-Campus Interviewing participation. Employers may state GPA preferences; some do. The reality of the job market is that employers often look at GPA first, and therefore students with higher GPAs tend to be more successful in getting selected for On-Campus Interviewing. Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no 3.0 GPA cutoff that applies to all of On-Campus Interviewing. Some employers do prefer 3.0 and above; not all do.

If you are unsure how much GPA affects your chances in On-Campus Interviewing, speak with a Career Center advisor. Your GPA should be considered in relation to your other qualifications. If there is a shortage of job candidates with your skills, some employers may not be as particular about GPA as others. If GPA is not your strongest qualification, you'll need to make up for this by presenting the rest of your qualifications effectively in your résumé and by taking initiative in your job search, both with On-Campus Interviewing and other job search strategies.

If you find nothing in your chosen career field in On-Campus Interviewing, it does not mean that the Career Center can't help you. Remember that On-Campus Interviewing represents a limited segment of the job market that is driven by employer demand.

The Career Center can help you:

  • Select appropriate job search strategies.
  • Develop your job search skills (resume writing, interviewing, etc).
  • Identify prospective employers.

For help:

  • Attend Career Center presentations on job search topics
  • Schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor for individual assistance with your job search.

On the Career Center Web page, go to:

  • Handshake Job Board to access a broad range of job vacancies and for links to other helpful sites.