Employer Policies

The services and programs of the University Career Center (UCC) have been developed in accordance with the Principles for Professional Conduct established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Employers using services and/or facilities of the Center for campus interviewing, employment listings, candidate referral, career fairs and/or information group meetings are expected to follow these guidelines. All employers must abide by Equal Opportunity Employment and Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Additional policies include, but are not limited to

• Employers must provide valid contact information including an organizational email account. Personal email addresses (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) will not be authorized to use UCC services. The only exception is if the company name is listed at the beginning of the email address, and that email address is listed on the company website and/or used as the "contact us" email for the organization.
• Employers must provide a brick-and-mortar location for centralized company operations; a residential or PO Box address provided for the business and/or point of contact will not be accepted, unless the opportunity is posted as a virtual internship (see "Virtual Internship Policy")
• All marketing material must be approved by the UCC. We reserve the right close employer’s accounts in Hire-A-Niner and restrict access if there is a violation.
• The UCC reserves the right to deny a posting, contact access, and terminate an employer account at any time.
• All companies who recruit UNC Charlotte students or alumni, either on- or off-campus, should be aware of, and adhere to, our recruiting policies. The UCC staff is happy to help you with any questions or to address any concerns that a company might have about these policies. A company that fails to abide by these policies may be penalized with the loss of priority scheduling status, restriction on student and event access, and cancelation of on-campus events.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity in its programs and activities, and in its employment and educational decisions. The University Career Center observes this policy and requires all employers to comply with applicable laws and regulations related to non-discrimination (see, e.g., https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/index.cfm.)

The Following Exceptions Apply

• Multi-level or pyramid marketing opportunities will not be accepted.
• Positions for which the work assignment is in a private residence or a residential or PO Box address is provided for the business and/or point of contact, will not be accepted. This also applies to start-up organizations that would require a brick-and-mortar location for centralized company operations.
• Positions related to in-home care or in-home employment with private individuals will not be accepted (including babysitting, senior companions, housekeeping, yard work, etc.). Positions of this type will only be listed through a licensed and bonded business or agency.
• Positions requiring students to pay money upfront or fees to be employed will not be accepted. This DOES NOT including professional licensure fees that may need to be covered by the employee (e.g., insurance licensing fees to sell insurance, etc.).
• Positions that violate copyright or intellectual property guidelines will not be accepted.
• Positions soliciting organ donations, blood donations, or clinical drug trials or studies will not be accepted.
• Positions soliciting illegal or fraudulent activities will not be accepted.
• Marijuana/Cannabis Industries: The UCC will not accept positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and UNC Charlotte receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law. In addition, the use of marijuana violates the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act and continues to be banned on campus.
• Third-Party Organizations recruiting for international positions, or International Third Party Organizations, will not be allowed to post opportunities in the system.

The UCC counsels students and alumni to conduct an ethical job search. Students and alumni are urged to cease their job search upon accepting an offer. They are highly encouraged, when provided with an offer, to ask the offering employer for time to consider the offer. If the offering employer is not the student’s “first choice” employer, the student is encouraged to contact any "first choice" employer(s) they have engaged and inform the “first choice” employer(s) that they have another offer.

When contacting a “first choice” employer about an offer from another employer, students are encouraged to indicate that they have another offer and inquire about their candidacy and the “first choice” employer’s timeframe. This inquiry might result in an offer for a student or advice for a student to take another offer. Students are also counseled that they can try to negotiate more time with employers to consider outstanding offers. Students and alumni should not accept an offer until they have made such contact and are satisfied working for the employer whose offer they choose to accept. For additional information about how students are coached to navigate the negotiation process, click here.

UNC Charlotte expects any student or alumni accepting a job offer to honor their commitment to the accepted position and company. Our office will not tolerate reneging on offers, as this not only affects the individual student's relationship with the affected company, but also that of their classmates and the institution. As a result, students and alumni who renege on an accepted offer will be subject to a number of penalties, as deemed appropriate by the UCC. These penalties can include immediate elimination from the Resume Book, loss of all access to job postings and all Center resources, and suspension from Hire-A-Niner.

Acceptance Expectation of International Students

International students are counseled to know that if they accept an offer for CPT via the University Career Center and complete the Work Authorization process through UCC and ISSO, they will not be issued another authorization if they renege on an opportunity. Upon accepting an offer and securing Work Authorization, their job search is to cease.

The University Career Center (UCC) encourages employers to think of unique and exciting ways to engage students and build brand awareness on-campus. We are happy to work with you to maximize and customize your recruitment strategy.

Recruiting events are defined as any activity where company-specific information is presented/provided/shared including, but not limited to, details about company culture and opportunities. Events can include presentations, informational sessions, meetings, club events, networking events, and dinners. Events and programming to student clubs must be approved by the office. Companies may not require student attendance if it conflicts with class schedule. Presentations and events must be open to all students and alumni. All recruiting can be scheduled through your Hire-A-Niner account.

Eligibility

Students and Alumni: All current UNC Charlotte students (Full-time and Part-time) and Alumni may attend recruiting events.

Employers: Open to all employers registered in Hire-A-Niner interested in recruiting UNC Charlotte students and alumni.

UNC Charlotte’s University Career Center invites employer organizations to register for career fairs and recruiting events provided they meet the following basic criteria:

• The organization has or expects to have one or more bona fide internship, co-op, part-time, temporary/seasonal, or full-time opportunities of a professional nature.
• The organization must accurately describe the conditions for employment, including the nature of pay (for commission-based opportunities) and any initial financial investment.
• The organization must meet all of the University Career Center’s employer requirements and must have an approved employer account in Hire-A-Niner.
• The University Career Center reserves the right to deny access and participation in career fairs and recruiting events to any organization.
• All decisions concerning registration of companies and organizations are made at the University Career Center’s sole discretion.

An effective way to recruit highly talented UNC Charlotte students is to take advantage of on-campus interviews. This allows employers to maximize their recruiting efforts while accommodating the busy academic schedules of students. Employers who recruit on-campus create connections with UNC Charlotte’s talented students/alumni, increasing their campus brand and presence. On-campus interviews are created and scheduled through Hire-A-Niner, UNC Charlotte’s comprehensive system for posting jobs and internships, searching student resumes, and registering for recruiting events.

Note: Employers must have a current posting in Hire-A-Niner to participate in on-campus recruitment.

Key Recruiting Dates

Interviews are offered Monday through Friday between the following dates:

No Recruiting on the following dates - February 13 and 14, March 5 - 9, March 23, March 30 and April 12.

Preselect vs. Rooms Only Service

Employers may choose our full-service, “Preselect” option to benefit from automated schedule management and University Career Center expertise. Please submit all “Preselect” schedule requests and a complete job description a minimum of 25 business days prior to the requested interview date, ensuring sufficient time for the position to be marketed to students.

We recognize that organizations have their own process for talent acquisition, and may be required to use in-house systems to collect resumes and create interview schedules. As such, when employers are in need of office space to conduct on-campus interviews, we offer a “Rooms Reservation Only” option.

Note: Employers must have a current posting in Hire-A-Niner to participate in on-campus recruitment (Preselect or Rooms Only Reservations).

The UCC, through its Hire-A-Niner recruiting system, serves as a “clearinghouse” for collecting and distributing postings of all experiential learning opportunities (Internships, Cooperative Education, Academic Credit Internships) for the entire University in order to provide a fair and equitable way for all students to access opportunities.

Internships

The Employer Relations Team will review internship descriptions for the following criteria:

• The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience provides for applying the knowledge a regular employee would routinely perform.
• The skills or knowledge learned must be transferrable to other employment settings.
• The experience has a defined beginning and end and a job description with desired qualifications.
• There are clearly defined learning objectives /goals related to the professional goals of the student's academic course of study.
• There is supervision by a professional with expertise, educational, and/or professional background in the field.
• There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
• There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Additional Guidelines for Unpaid Internships

Employers providing unpaid internships may advertise on Hire-A-Niner; however, the position description must adhere to U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division standards for Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The UCC requires an internship to be a minimum of 80 hours/5 weeks in length in a semester for consideration.

Cooperative Education

While the terms “Cooperative Education” or “Co-op” and Internship are sometimes used interchangeably by both employers and students, UNC Charlotte recognizes Cooperative Education under the following criteria:

• Paid career-related educational work opportunity to help undergraduate students gain experience in a professional setting before graduating.
• Available to students in the College of Computing and Informatics, William States Lee College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Belk College of Business.
• Participating students may work 3 full-time semesters of work alternativing with full-time semesters of school, 2 back-to-back full-time semesters of work, or 3 parallel part-time semesters of work with part-time semesters of school. The degree and pattern of student participation can vary in the College of Computing and Informatics and the College of Engineering.
• Students are enrolled in a zero-credit transcript notation course during each work rotation in order to maintain their full-time student status.
• There is a $60 registration fee for transcript notation that is applied to a student's account each work rotation (and co-op seminar rotation via the academic department).

The UCC allows employers to post the following types of opportunities:

• Part-time Jobs
• Full-time Jobs (both those requiring a degree and those not requiring a degree)
• Temporary and Seasonal
• Internships (paid/unpaid)
• Co-ops

Eligibility

Open to all employers interested in posting positions to recruit UNC Charlotte students and alumni with the following guidelines:

• Must have current or anticipated job openings for currently enrolled college students or alumni.
• Must be a licensed business.
• Must agree not to discriminate in any manner on the basis of sex, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, actual or perceived gender identity, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, veteran status, or genetic information, and will comply with all Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action laws, ordinances, and executive, administrative, or judicial regulations, orders, and decrees applicable to the employer or to the University.
• Employers with virtual opportunities must define the working location of the student (refer to Exceptions Apply to Posting Opportunities below)
• If the opportunity is a virtual internship opportunity, please refer to the Policy on Internships and Co-ops

Any posting can be placed on hold, and possibly closed by the University Career Center, if guidelines are not met.

The Following Exceptions Apply to Posting Opportunities

• Multi-level or pyramid marketing opportunities will not be accepted.
• Positions for which the work assignment is in a private residence or a residential or PO Box address is provided for the business and/or point of contact, will not be accepted. This also applies to start-up organizations that would require a brick-and-mortar location for centralized company operations.
• Positions related to in-home care or in-home employment with private individuals will not be accepted (including babysitting, senior companions, housekeeping, yard work, etc.). Positions of this type will only be listed through a licensed and bonded business or agency.
• Positions requiring students to pay money upfront or fees to be employed will not be accepted. This DOES NOT including professional licensure fees that may need to be covered by the employee (e.g., insurance licensing fees to sell insurance, etc.).
• Positions that violate copyright or intellectual property guidelines will not be accepted.
• Positions soliciting organ donations, blood donations, or clinical drug trials or studies will not be accepted.
• Positions soliciting illegal or fraudulent activities will not be accepted.
• Marijuana/Cannabis Industries: The UCC will not accept positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and UNC Charlotte receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law. In addition, the use of marijuana violates the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act and continues to be banned on campus.
• Third-Party Organizations recruiting for international positions, or International Third Party Organizations, will not be allowed to post opportunities in the system.

The UCC reserves the right to deny a posting, contact access, and terminate an employer account at any time.

Post an Opportunity

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is only available to F-1 visa students who are and have been lawfully enrolled as a full-time student for at least nine consecutive months (The only exception is for graduate students who must begin a required practicum or internship immediately upon entering their Program of Study).

Curricular Practical Training refers to employment that is related to a student’s major field of study and is required as part of the student’s degree program, is necessary to fulfill a course requirement, or otherwise is an integral component of the student's curriculum for which academic credit is required.

CPT can be authorized for part-time employment (20 hours per week or less) or full-time employment (more than 20 hours per week). Students who accumulate one year or more of full-time CPT are not eligible for Optional Practical Training (a separate program), which is usually authorized after the completion of a degree program. Authorization for CPT must be renewed each semester a student wishes to continue employment. (Students are only allowed to work 20 hours/week when they are enrolled full-time.) Summer internships may be 40 hours/week. The physical location of employment may not exceed a radius of 1-1.5 hour(s) drive time from the University (except in summer).

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an employment benefit which allows eligible F-1 international students to gain valuable work experience in their field, usually following the completion of their program (or coursework for their program, in the case of graduate students in a dissertation or thesis period). To qualify, international students need to have been enrolled full-time for a minimum period of one academic year.

F-1 Curricular Practical Training Questions and Answers

When can a student apply for this benefit?

At least 10 business days prior to the start date of employment.

The University Career Center requires 5 business days to review work authorization requests from the date the student accurately completes their submission in Hire-A-Niner. The International Student and Scholar Office will require an additional 5 business days (for a total of 10 business days) to review and approve a student's opportunity and issue a new I-20 or DS-2019.

What documents does a student need to present to apply for this benefit?

1. A written job offer letter containing the prospective CPT employer’s name, CPT job title, semester start and end dates of employment, number of hours, and physical location of employment. (Must be on company letterhead.)
2. A "Curricular Practical Training Approval Request Form" completed and signed by the students’ academic and/or internship advisor, depending on the requirements of the College/Department and nature of the CPT assignment.

When can students begin work?

Students may begin work only after they have followed the employment confirmation process and obtained written permission (I-20 authorization) from the Associate Director for the International Students and Scholars Office. CPT authorization cannot be backdated, and working prior to obtaining approval is a violation of status. If you work illegally, you must leave the United States, re-enter as an F-1 student, and wait nine months before becoming eligible for employment benefits, such as Curricular Practical Training or Optional Practical Training.

Where can employers direct students for full instructions on the “CPT via the University Career Center” approval process?

Students should be directed to the “Internships for F1 and J1 International Students” website for thorough instructions. They are encouraged to carefully read and engage the approval process, as all questions will be answered through these instructions.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) applies to any school that receives federal funding. Students consent to make their resumes available to recruiters through the Resume Books. Resume Books are intended for the use of recruiters only.

Employers using the University Career Center’s services by posting opportunities in Hire-A-Niner will offer hourly or base salaries for positions. A draw against future earnings does not constitute a salary.

Employers with commission-based opportunities must adhere to the following:

• Employers offering various commission-based positions may post job listings through the University Career Center’s Hire-A-Niner database provided the position is a full-time, post-graduate career opportunity.
• Disclose that compensation is based partially or solely on commission in the “Salary Level” section of the posting and restate this in the job description. If compensation is partially commission based, the percentage MUST be included.
• If no initial base salary is provided, the form of remuneration (or compensation) must be clearly stated in the job description posted through Hire-A-Niner.
• The position does not require that any part of the compensation be associated with recruiting others.
• No commission-based part-time or internship positions will be posted that seeks to employ undergraduate or current students of UNC Charlotte.

The University Career Center does not post franchise or pyramid-type opportunities. The University Career Center reserves the right to refuse services or deny postings to employers at our discretion.

An employer that posts opportunities and recruits with the University Career Center, must have a brick and mortar location. Employers who have P.O. Boxes or list their home address as their business location will not be approved to recruit or post opportunities with the University Career Center. If an organization is working in a co-working space, the organization must be able to prove that this space is a long-term business solution and the place where business is conducted (e.g., a lease showing designated working space 5 days a week). If the employer has a membership for co-working space, without designated working space 5 days a week, the prospective employer's registration/job posting will be declined.

The University Career Center does not permit posting positions that require students to work out of a private residence. The student may do virtual work out of his/her own residence (see virtual policies and best practices), but the student cannot be required to report to his/her employer/supervisor’s private residence.

This policy is enforced to protect the safety of UNC Charlotte students and ensure students are working in a professional environment.

UNC Charlotte strongly encourages employers to consider recommendations from NACE and The Principles Committee when extending student offers, particularly internship offers, by providing a reasonable timeframe in which students can respond to offers. NACE and The Principles Committee “believe that providing sufficient time for students to evaluate the employment opportunities offered to them allows them to make the wisest decisions for all concerned, creating a positive experience for candidates and employers, and ultimately reducing renege and attrition rates” (NACE, 2017). Additional information on this topic can be found here.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), third-party employers are defined as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs. This includes entities that refer or recruit for profit or not for profit, and it includes agencies that collect student information to be disclosed to employers for purposes of recruitment and employment.

Adapted from the National Association of College’s and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Practice.

Third-Party Employer Services

The UNC Charlotte University Career Center (UCC) policy states that third-party employers who contract to recruit on behalf of client organizations or for their own internal positions are permitted to utilize the following recruitment services offered by the UCC:

• Approved third-party employers may post positions online in Hire-A-Niner. All position fees must be paid by the employer, and no financial investment or payment may be required by student or alumni for employment.  Third-party employers must disclose in Hire-A-Niner the name of the organization and position(s) that is being recruited for; this information will be viewable by UCC staff only (not students or alumni).
• Approved third-party employers may participate in the on-campus interview program providing:
  • You must submit an interview schedule through Hire-A-Niner and link a job posting to the schedule
• The use of on-campus recruiting space for interviews is only open to UNC Charlotte students and alumni.  Employers may not interview members of the public on campus.

Note: At this time, third-party organizations recruiting for international positions, or international third-party organizations, will not be allowed to post opportunities in the system.

Services/Products NOT Available to Third-Party Employers

• Search student resumes and profiles, including access to resume referrals/books
• Schedule information sessions or recruiting tables
• Setup employer office hours
• Participate in the Mock Interview Program

If a third-party employer would like to register with the UCC,the organization must adhere to our guidelines, policies, and national best practices listed and described in the UCC Talent Recruitment Policies and NACE Principles for Professional Practice. Any organization that violates these principles will have their recruiting privileges revoked. In order to register and recruit UNC Charlotte students and alumni, you must register through Hire-A-Niner.

The UCC reserves the right to deny a posting, contact access, and terminate an employer account at any time.

Many internships posted for UNC Charlotte students are in-person internships. While the professional environment provides a unique and important learning experience for students, the University Career Center recognizes that there are some wonderful virtual opportunities for students to gain valuable experience and connections. With this in mind, if you are interested in posting a virtual internship for a student, the following criteria must be met.

• The word “virtual” must be included in the job title. (e.g., “Virtual Research Internship”)
• All position descriptions must meet internship criteria and standards specified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• The organization must be an established business or nonprofit. For proof of status, the organization should provide evidence of a physical location, website, history of offering paid employment, listed telephone number, tax ID number, etc.
• A virtual space for managing projects, workflow and saving work product must be available to the student. This could be in the form of Google Docs or any other “cloud” computing software. The student should not save work material to a personal computer.
• A regularly scheduled e-mail report (weekly, at minimum) which includes progress, hours worked, issues encountered and any questions for the supervisor.
• Weekly virtual meetings via Skype or similar software. On the rare occasion when this is not possible, at a minimum, a phone call should be scheduled to accommodate the meeting.
• If a hosting organization is not far from UNC Charlotte and the employer has posted a virtual internship, allowing the student to work from campus, the employer must meet with the student in a public setting throughout the course of the virtual internship. This meeting cannot occur in a private residence or secluded space.