By acting in accordance with these policies and guidelines, individuals and organizations can help Berkeley Career Engagement maintain a professional, fair, and successful recruiting environment for all parties concerned.
On Campus Interviewing (OCI) and Job Posting Guidelines
Employer Policies
Berkeley Career Engagement at the University of California Berkeley maximizes employment and internship opportunities for its students by offering a range of services to facilitate recruitment of prospective candidates, including, but not limited to, job/internship postings, on-campus recruiting, career fairs, and information sessions. Berkeley Career Engagement requires that any recruiting organization or individual utilizing these services must agree to the Terms and Conditions and must abide by all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including Equal Employment Opportunity laws, University of California rules and regulations, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. (Refer to the detailed resources below).
The Handshake system is the web-based portal for publicizing all bona fide full-time, part-time, seasonal, and short-term positions and other recruiting activities for small and large businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and on-campus employers. All recruiting organizations or individuals are expected to accurately describe their organizations, positions, and position requirements when posting their information on Handshake or when representing their firms and opportunities at any campus recruiting events. Postings requiring donations, up-front or application fees, investments, or offering items or services for sale cannot be advertised on Handshake.
Berkeley Career Engagement reserves the right to refuse service to organizations or individuals due to any of the following:
- requiring sensitive information at the time of application, such as bank and social security numbers;
- misrepresentation, whether defined by dishonest information or absence of information;
- fraud;
- harassment of UC Berkeley students, alumni, or staff;
- breach of confidentiality as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA);
- failure to adhere to Berkeley Career Engagement employer guidelines;
- any violation of University of California rules and regulations;
- any violation of local, state, or federal laws.
Third-Party Recruiters
Berkeley Career Engagement defines third-party recruiters as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities for other organizations rather than for internal positions. This includes entities that make referrals 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. Examples are employment agencies, search firms, contract recruiters, venture capital firms acting on behalf of their portfolio companies, and online job posting or resume referral services.
Third-party recruiters may utilize BCE job listing services, participate in on-campus recruiting and attend select career fairs. They will be required to verify in advance whether they are recruiting for their own organizations or for their clients. Third-party firms who are recruiting for positions within their own organizations must clearly differentiate those opportunities from their client engagements. Failure to abide by these third-party requirements will result in loss of access to Berkeley Career Engagement services.
Third-party recruiters representing client organizations must:
- Verify that they charge no fees of any kind to student or alumni applicants;
- Identify themselves as a third-party recruiter in their Handshake employer profile and all client job announcements;
- Provide the Employer Relations Office in advance with a list of the employer clients for whom they are recruiting, and, if requested after review, provide a copy of the retainer(s) signed by their employer client(s) authorizing them to act as their sole campus representatives;
- Provide accurate position descriptions and include specific client names in all jobs posted on Handshake;
- Only release candidate information provided to the identified employer in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Re-disclosure of candidate information to any other parties is not permitted.
Start-ups
We’re excited to welcome Start-ups into our space to recruit UC Berkeley students. We ask that you abide by our policies and ensure the following:
- Provide a company name, business address, website and email address, and identify a principal as the key contact;
- Verify that they are not seeking potential partners or investors;
- Offer positions for pay, not just for equity; see Compensation and Fees;
- Provide clearly defined organization and position descriptions in Handshake.
Those ventures who cannot meet these guidelines may contact Berkeley Career Engagement at a later stage to discuss access to services.
Confidentiality of Student Information
By completing the Handshake registration form and submitting resumes and other application materials for opportunities posted on Handshake, students provide Berkeley Career Engagement authorization to release employment materials to those selected prospective employers. Employment professionals must maintain the confidentiality of all student information released to them, regardless of the source, including personal documents, written records/reports, and computer databases. This means that there should be no disclosure of student information to another organization without the prior written consent of the student, unless necessitated by health and/or safety considerations, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Employment Eligibility
In compliance with the Department of Justice’s rulings regarding citizenship discrimination and best practices for online job postings, the Berkeley Career Engagement does no screening of candidates or verification of work authorization. Employers may include employment eligibility information in their Handshake job descriptions as a point of information for potential candidates so that the candidates may self-screen.
Employers are encouraged to consult with their legal counsel and establish legally permissible internal screening procedures before posting jobs or recruiting on campus. Berkeley Career Engagement reserves the right to modify or remove any statements or job postings that include any potentially illegal or discriminatory language.
More information re: the DOJ’s decisions can be found at:
Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring Workers
Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
GPA
Students’ GPAs are self-reported in Handshake and Berkeley Career Engagement does not verify the accuracy of student GPAs. Employers may include this information in their job descriptions as a point of information for potential candidates. Employers may also request unofficial grade reports or transcripts from students or alumni as part of their required Handshake application documents in order to verify academic performance.
Alcoholic Beverages
In compliance with the University’s policy prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverages, employers should not serve alcoholic beverages at any employer-related functions held on or off campus.
Exceptions to Policies and Guidelines
Berkeley Career Engagement reserves the right to make exceptions to these policies and guidelines as warranted by special circumstances, i.e., in certain situations deemed to be acceptable and beneficial to our students, Berkeley Career Engagement, the University, or recruiters using our services. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any exception made does not constitute a change in policy, nor is there a guarantee that this same decision will apply in the future.