The University of Alabama Career Center has developed the following guidelines and procedures to ensure that UA students and alumni are treated fairly and are being recruited for viable positions. Employers recruiting at The University of Alabama are expected to abide by and adhere to the employment rules and regulations of the First National Association for Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Handshake is a service utilized at the discretion of The University of Alabama, Career Center. The Career Center reserves the right in its sole discretion to refuse partnership to employers at any time. Employers and students are advised to use caution and encouraged to request reference information as needed to establish qualifications, credentials, and conditions of employment.
There has been an increase in fraudulent and illegal job scams on college campuses. In an effort to reduce the possibility of fraudulent employers or positions, we review every employer registration and job posting based on the requirements below.
Additionally, please note: Postings for positions that require at the time of application, personal information such as bank and social security numbers, or photos of the applicants are not allowed. Postings for positions that pay in cash, or require a candidate to make a financial investment, or to pay a fee prior to employment, or to recruit other students for a financial incentive, are not allowed.
The Career Center reserves the right to decline an employer partnership for misrepresented employment opportunities, and the violation of UA policies and procedures, the NACE Principals for Professional Practice, and all federal and state employment laws. If you have any questions regarding our decision to decline your partnership, please contact career@ua.edu
An employer seeking to partner with The University of Alabama in Handshake must abide by the following guidelines:
Employers must provide complete, accurate, and verifiable information. This includes full name and company email. We must be able to connect the registration contact to the company through an internet search.
Employers must have an active, error-free, functioning website. Websites must be professional and written in the English language. The website must include: Contact information, physical location address, an “about” or “overview” of the organization and clickable/active links (including social media links).
Employers must use an email address that is connected to their business. Employers listing Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo emails will be not be approved. The email address should have the organization name after the “@” sign or include the company name or abbreviation. The contact name should be included in the email address.
Employers must provide a physical, verifiable address that is not a private home or residence.
Virtual employers may provide a P.O. Box for location purposes. We reserve the right to ask for an additional address for verification.
Start-ups will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Employers with headquarters out of the US will be vetted extensively and potentially, denied. We will ask additional questions regarding registration and discuss the types of employment opportunities being provided.
Political campaigns must have a physical, verifiable address, such as a campaign headquarters office. Virtual campaign offices will not be approved.
The campaign must also have a functioning website and it must include contact information and a career or employment page (volunteer page does not count).
Employers requiring interns or employees to market/promote or create/develop free or fee-based programs, products, services, events and/or collect student information on the UA campus on behalf of an employer will not be approved. Examples include campus brand ambassadors, student referrals of other students and marketing or sales programs.
Organizations wishing to recruit students and alumni at The University of Alabama using Handshake can do so free of charge. Job and internship postings are reviewed and approved/rejected based upon the information contained in the postings. Excessive postings and misleading postings are not allowed. Postings that do not correspond to a company’s actual interviewing, hiring and compensation practices, or postings that misrepresent the identity and affiliation of the employer, are not allowed.
The Career Center reserves the right to deny job postings for not following the guidelines below or due to the position not being the right fit for our student community.
All jobs and internships posted must be career-related and/or professionally oriented. Please note we accept contract, temporary and seasonal positions, but only if they are professionally oriented.
Jobs posted must be for one specific opening, not several openings combined into one posting.
All postings must be for the purpose of the listed employer (not for a personal or other 3rd party organization).
Recruiters must agree to the University’s nondiscrimination and equal opportunity policy.
Employers must select the appropriate position type. The position type must align with the job position and be clearly identified within the description.
Employers must use an email address that is connected to their business. Job postings with Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc, email addresses will be denied. Email addresses must include the company name as well as the recruiter’s name. Exceptions allowed for human resource or recruiting team email addresses.
Employers must list a minimum of five (5) job duties, responsibilities or tasks. Job postings that fail to list a job description or list very few details will be denied. This information is important in providing candidates with enough information to decide whether or not to apply for the position.
Employers listing jobs that require students or alumni to work in private or personal residences, apartments, condos, etc. will not be approved. (Examples: caregiver, nanny, in-home tutor, and startup company positions that place students/alumni in residential homes).
Virtual positions will be allowed on a case-by-case basis but students may not visit or work in a personal or private home.
Employers listing commission only positions will be denied. Postings that include referral bonuses are also not allowed. Stipend-based internships are allowable but must disclose the per-week stipend amount and the hours of work per week.
Positions requiring interns or employees to market/promote or create/develop free or fee-based programs, products, services, events, etc. and/or collect student information on the UA campus on behalf of an employer are ineligible. Examples include campus brand ambassadors and student referrals of other students. Job postings for positions that support or supervise the work of ambassadors are also not allowed. Fee-based programs; examples include fee-based training programs, fee-based placements or positions requiring the purchase of supplies or a training kit are not allowed.
Internships should meet the standards of the Department of Labor and NACE Internship Guidelines and Criteria All employers should ensure all Department of Labor Internship Guidelines are met prior to posting the internship.
Unpaid internships are required to be in compliance with the United States Department of Labor.
To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship/fellowship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:
Professional part-time job opportunities must require/prefer at least a Bachelor’s degree.
For a position to be posted as a part-time job for a currently enrolled student, it must meet these requirements:
Political campaigns must follow the following guidelines for posting positions:
The guidelines for the recruiting process of the Career Center are in the best interests of our students and corporate recruiters. The positive outcome of our recruiting process is enhanced by strict adherence to these guidelines. On-campus interviewing includes: On-campus interview (room only or preselect), Employer Meet & Greets and the promotion of on-campus or off-campus opportunities.
For the Career Center to market or promote career opportunities, the organization or company, must have an approved employer account through Handshake. This includes marketing recruitment events and flyers for job postings or opportunities.
Campus interviews should be directly scheduled and conducted by the recruiting organization’s employees, rather than by third-party representatives; and, employers should be seeking candidates for internships and full-time employment (requiring a degree). The Career Center reserves the right to refuse any direct hiring organization from participation in On-Campus Interviews, especially in cases of misrepresentation or violation of UA, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principals for Professional Practice, and all federal and state employment laws.
Only current students and alumni of The University of Alabama may be interviewed in our facility.
The Career Center reserves the right to close our office due to inclement weather and safety for students, alumni, staff, and employers. The Employer Relations team will work with students and employers to identify potential rescheduling options. Employers will be expected to contact their applicants directly about interview cancellations and alternative interview options.
The Career Center welcomes third-party recruiter postings that adhere to the policies below.
Third-party recruiters (e.g., employment agencies):
The University of Alabama is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator, and employer. By registering to conduct on-campus interviews, I agree that my company is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy that no citizen of the united states or any other person within the jurisdiction thereof shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), age, disability, veteran status, religion, national origin or sexual orientation, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination in employment or under any educational program or activity of the university. In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, interviews must be made available to all interested students who are authorized to work full-time in the United States for other than practical training purposes, regardless of their citizenship. If United States citizenship is required by your company, please indicate this requirement in the job description for any position for which you are recruiting.
The Career Center makes its interviewing facilities and position-listing services available to employers who do not unlawfully discriminate in the selection of candidates on the basis of national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Any employer who makes use of University facilities or services must agree to abide by this policy and, if interviewing students, to talk in good faith with students who have been selected for an interview and to refrain from questioning students regarding the above-protected classifications.
