Recruiting Guidelines

Recruiting Guidelines

Take care of what matters.

We appreciate you considering MSU students and alumni for the available positions in your organization. Please review these guidelines to ensure your organization's continued participation in our collaborative effort to connect job seekers to fulfilling careers.

Professional Practice Standards and Guidelines

We appreciate you considering Mississippi State University’s students and alumni for the available positions with your organization. We follow all Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws, U.S. Department of Labor Laws, Americans with Disabilities Act, local and states laws, Mississippi State University guidelines, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Practice.

Following these guidelines will support the collaborative effort of the MSU Career Center and employment professionals while reducing the potential for abuses. These guidelines are not all-inclusive; they are intended to serve as a framework within which the career planning and recruitment processes should function, and as a foundation upon which professionalism can be promoted.

MSU Career Center Recruiting Guidelines & Policies

  • Information sessions (in-person and virtually) will be posted in Connections. Join in links for virtual information sessions will be provided in the information session description and to Career Center staff.
  • Interviews with students will only be conducted in Career Center interview rooms in Montgomery Hall.
  • Employers interviewing on campus shall check-in and provide a list of students along with interview dates and times to Career Center staff the day of interviews.
  • Employers with display table reservation will remain at designated table and chairs during display table reservations (indoors or outdoors). 
  • Students at Mississippi State will provide consent to receive recruitment communication from employers; unsolicited communication is not allowed. Once a student requests to withdraw from any recruitment communication, employers will comply and cease all communication with that student.
  • Employers will request permission from the Career Center to use the Career Center name for any campus-wide event or communication.
  • Employers shall inform the Career Center of any incidents that may occur on-campus.

Any deviation (intentional or unintentional) from terms outlined in the Career Center Professional Practice Standards: will be grounds for employers to be prohibited from recruiting at Mississippi State University for a certain period or permanently.

Approval Process

Applicable to employers’ registration requests and posting jobs and internships through the MSU Career Center Website

The MSU Career Center has total discretion to approve or not approve company registrations based on the best interest of the institution and its students. Employers who adhere to these guidelines and policies are encouraged to register and post positions for free at www.career.msstate.edu.

Employer accounts will be approved if:

  • Employers comply with employment guidelines provided by Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws, U.S. Department of Labor Laws; Americans with Disabilities Act; local and states laws; and Mississippi State University guidelines.
  • Legitimacy of the company/organization can be verified through an internet search or correspondence with the individual requesting access to the site.
  • Company/organization is not an online resource for the purpose of promoting networking and job opportunities, including career information websites and job seeker resources.
  • Company/organization is not an entrepreneurial start-up wishing to post unpaid internship or job opportunities.
  • Contact name, phone number and email address are provided.
  • The primary location of employer is not a residence.
  • Contact email address is from a company domain.
  • Contact responds to attempts from the MSU Career Center to gather more information about the company or job posting.

Job and internship postings will receive additional screening and /or will NOT be approved if:

  • Company profile or job description is significantly changed after initially being approved for postings.
  • Position requiring funding, money for supplies and/or training does not state the financial obligations to candidates.
  • Position requires candidates to recruit other members or sub-distributors to receive payment in a multi-level organization.
  • Position requires candidates to spend money and then receive reimbursement, such as Mystery Shopper positions.
  • Position does not have a complete or clear job description and job title.
  • Posting is a training advertisement.
  • Posting is an employer/organization job fair.
  • Email address is from a personal account (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.)
  • The primary location of employer is a residence.

Special Considerations

Paid vs. Unpaid: Organizations are encouraged to review the U.S. Department of Labor and Wage Division Internships Statement prior to posting internships. Positions that do not adhere to the standards will not be approved. https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf.

Commission-Only Opportunities: Employers with commission-only opportunities must explicitly state the precise nature of the work and the compensation structure in their job posting and in all correspondence with the candidate.

Third-Party Recruiters: Third-party recruiters are defined as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time or full-time employment other than for their own staffing needs. Organizations that do not charge a fee may use the MSU Career Center job board Connections. Third-party recruiters seeking to post through Connections must disclose the identification of employers for whom the third party is acting. Third-party recruiters are not allowed to search student resumes in the system or request a resume book.