Employer Policies

The Cawley Career Education Center reserves the right to modify these guidelines at any time. All decisions regarding recruiting at Georgetown are made at the sole discretion of the University, and the Cawley Career Education Center reserves the right to deny an employer access to services at any time.

Employers must be in good standing with Georgetown University. Complaints received by the Cawley Career Education Center at any time regarding posting of inaccurate or misleading information, potential risks to the health and safety of students, unethical work practices or treatment of students and/or alumni by an employer, or any other practice which is inconsistent with the mission and values of the University may result in discontinuation of access.

Please note that policies for Employers apply to all employers who recruit Georgetown students. Recruiting at Georgetown means participating in any activity that actively solicits Georgetown undergraduate students for employment as interns, full-time employees, or as 1099 independent contractors. These activities can include, but are not limited to, posting jobs on Handshake, participating in career fairs, hosting events for Georgetown students inclusively or exclusively, conducting on-campus or virtual interviews, or participating in custom internship and externship programs (e.g. VIEW, FLITE, etc.). By participating in these activities, you are agreeing to our policies as outlined below. 

Questions can be directed to the Cawley Career Education Center at careercenter@georgetown.edu. 

Topics covered below include:

Types of Employers Allowed to Participate in Georgetown Recruiting

The Cawley Career Education Center welcomes a wide swath of employers to participate in recruiting

  • Employers must have a physical address that is not an individual’s home, business phone number, business email address (not @gmail.com or other publicly available email domain), and public website
  • Employers must operate in a way that is in agreement with Georgetown’s mission and values as a Catholic, Jesuit University
  • Georgetown University and some of our students are recipients of federal funding. To avoid a conflict in federal and state laws, and to protect our students from potential exposure to federal prosecution by association, the Cawley Career Education Center is unable to approve employers or job postings involved with the development, production, testing, distribution, or use of any federally illegal substance including recreational or medical marijuana.
  • We do not allow brand ambassador positions from any type of firm to be posted in Handshake.
  • Georgetown University’s Cawley Career Education Center does not allow multi-level marketing (MLM) organizations to recruit on campus for sales, customer/distributer service, or any other role that directly supports multi-level sales. We will not promote franchise opportunities as jobs or internships, and we do not permit direct or door-to-door sales companies to attend recruiting events.
  • We do not allow third party recruiters to recruit on behalf of their clients to post positions on Handshake or to recruit at Georgetown.
  • We do not allow companies that charge students fees to apply or participate, in any way, to post positions on Handshake or to recruit at Georgetown.

Students Eligible to Participate in Recruiting

All currently enrolled, degree-seeking Georgetown University undergraduates, and some graduate students from select programs, may participate in on-campus recruitment and interviewing.

Students Studying Abroad

The Cawley Career Education Center requires employers to indicate on their on-campus interview schedule whether study abroad students may participate via videoconference. 

Interview Policies

Interview Space

The Cawley Career Education Center will arrange interviews in our 10-room interview suite and reserve additional space if available.

Cancellation Fees

Fees will apply for employers who cancel a room reservation fewer than 14 days prior to their scheduled on-campus interview. The fee will be $100 per room. **Note that cancellation fees are waived for interviews taking place virtually.

Second-Round Interviews

To ensure that students have equal access to employers, the Cawley Career Education Center requires that all second-round interviews accommodate the student’s classes and previously scheduled first-round interviews. Students should not be asked, nor be expected to, cancel a separate interview or miss a class to attend a second-round interview. Without exception, employers must offer alternative dates, without negative consequences, for a second-round interview if the date originally offered by the employer interferes with a student’s first-round interview, class, or other valid conflict.

Off-Site Second-Round Interviews 

Employers must give students three (3) business days advance notice of second-round interviews if it is outside the D.C. Metro Area. It is the employer’s responsibility to coordinate second-round interviews with students. Do not make travel arrangements for students before conferring with them. It is customary for employers to reimburse students for travel expenses incurred to interview. If applicable, please indicate your travel/reimbursement policy when inviting a student to interview.

Offer Policies

Written Offers 

All employers should extend offers in writing, with offer deadline dates clearly indicated, and be willing to discuss offers with the Cawley recruiting team. It is important to keep students informed of their status throughout the process.

Offer Deadlines

Offers for full-time positions and internship positions can be given at any time during the recruiting period.

Employers are asked to follow the offer deadline policies without applying pressure on students. Offers extended at any time of year will adhere to the policies below. Employers should adhere to the following offer policies:

  • Full-time offers cannot expire before two weeks from written offer.
  • Internship offers cannot expire before two weeks from written offer.
  • A student’s decision to withdraw their acceptance of an offer that was signed at least 12+ months prior to the position’s start date will not result in University repercussions.
  • Bonuses and other incentives associated with an offer cannot expire before the dates above.

Exploding Offers

Exploding offers, defined as an offer that expires in less than 48 hours, put enormous pressure on students to make an informed decision before they are ready. Students should not be pressured to accept offers “on the spot” or “early,” whether this is based upon a shorter timeframe for consideration overall and/or due to any special diminishing incentives attached, e.g.,  tiered or expiring bonuses, reduced options for location preferences, etc. The Cawley Career Center expects all employers to refrain from such practices when recruiting Georgetown students.

Offer Extensions

On occasion, students may request an extension beyond the dates given. Each request should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please feel free to reach out to the Cawley Career Education Center to discuss any questions or concerns related to the offer deadline policy.

Policy Violations

Employers who violate the offer deadline policy will be subject to penalties that may impact requests for the next recruiting cycle or may be removed from Handshake depending on the severity of the violation.

Consequences to Students Reneging on Offers 

Our goal at the Cawley Career Education Center is to educate students on ethical and professional behavior, beginning with the interview process. We actively educate students to carefully consider offers and accept them only if they are fully committed to the job.

If notified by an employer that a student has reneged, the student will be required to meet with a staff member to discuss the situation. Possible consequences to the student include loss of access to participate in recruiting activities. However, if a student reneges on an offer with a deadline that did not adhere to the stated timelines, and/or were not given an offer decision extension that adhered to the stated timelines, the Cawley Career Education Center will not proactively pursue action against the student.

A student’s decision to withdraw their acceptance of an offer that was signed at least 12+ months prior to the position’s start date will not result in University repercussions.

Rescinding or Deferring Employment

Employers needing to rescind or defer employment should carefully review the guidelines and follow the NACE recommendations found in the Position Statement on Rescinded and Deferred Employment Offers. The NACE guidelines urge employers to adopt a two-part approach to employment offers under consideration for revocation.

The first emphasizes the need for a commitment to high standards in recruiting. The second offers a reasoned approach to dealing with rescinded and deferred offers.

NACE recommends that employers who must revoke a commitment consider alternatives that do not require rescinding employment offers. These may include changes in job responsibilities, salary reduction or reduced work weeks, changes in job locale, delayed starting dates, and other reasonable options.

For candidates whose start dates are deferred:

  • Provide services to aid the candidates in securing other employment
  • Provide financial assistance if the deferral will be longer than three months
  • Communicate to candidates as soon as possible
  • Contact the Cawley Career Education Center
  • Stay in communication with candidates and the Cawley Career Education Center regarding start dates

The Cawley Career Education Center expects all employers to treat candidates in an ethical manner. We reserve the right to deny access to employers who we determine have not conducted their recruiting efforts ethically.

Policies Related to Non-Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Wage & Hours

Georgetown University Cawley Career Education Center expects that all employers and its representatives will act in a reasonable, ethical way throughout the recruiting process and while students are interns or employees of the employer. We expect our students participating in recruiting our students to do the same.

Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Professionalism in Employment

Georgetown University’s Cawley Career Education Center is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and abides by the organization’s Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. By participating in recruiting or by submitting a job posting, you and your organization agrees to abide NACE’s practices, by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines and Georgetown University policies, including Georgetown University’s equal opportunity and non-discrimination policy.

Sexual Misconduct and Harassment

Employers and recruiters are subject to Georgetown University’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct and Policy Statement on Harassment. You also certify that your organization and its representatives will treat all Georgetown students with respect and courtesy and will exhibit high standards of professionalism throughout the recruitment process. 

Employers are responsible for the conduct of their recruiters and representatives and for any representation made by those individuals, and can encourage responsible recruiting by: 

  • Ensuring that recruiters and representatives have training to avoid bias, discrimination, and harassment in the recruiting process; and
  • Striving to provide interviewing and recruitment environments, and in the case of internships, work environments, that minimize the risk of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment. 

Wage and Hour 

By recruiting at Georgetown, your organization certifies that it complies and will comply with all applicable employment laws and regulations, including wage and hour laws and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division regulations. In particular, please review Fact Sheet #71 as it relates to Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The Cawley Career Education Center reserves the right to modify these guidelines at any time. All decisions regarding recruiting at Georgetown are made at the sole discretion of the University, and the Cawley Career Education Center reserves the right to deny an employer access to services at any time.

Employers must be in good standing with Georgetown University. Complaints received by the Cawley Career Education Center at any time regarding posting of inaccurate or misleading information, potential risks to the health and safety of students, unethical work practices or treatment of students and/or alumni by an employer, or any other practice which is inconsistent with the mission and values of the University will result in discontinuation of access.