Recruiting Policies

Swarthmore College Career Services follows the Principles for Professional Conduct established by The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and requires employers to practice the same principles to ensure equitable recruiting.

Before posting an internship, please review the U.S. Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet [pdf] on intern compensation. This fact sheet provides general information to help determine whether interns must be paid the minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act for the services that they provide to “for-profit” private sector employers.

• Offer review timeline 
  • We request that employers provide applicants with 2 weeks for review of any offers for employment (full-time and internship).  We highly discourage “exploding offers” that give applicants less than one week to decide. 
  • We ask employers to provide extensions for offer decisions per applicant request when possible.
• Offer review time for “Return Offers” (summer internship to return for a full-time post-grad opportunity)
  • If an employer elects to make a full-time or returning internship offer to their summer interns, we request that you allow the student until November 15 to accept/decline the offer. This will ensure that the student has necessary time to make an informed decision by completing a recruiting cycle. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Erin Massey. 

If employers choose not to follow these policies and deadlines outlined in this document, students will act in their best self-interest, and the employer assumes the risk of a renege.

OFFER TO SUMMER INTERNS

If an employer elects to make a full-time or returning internship offer to one or more of their summer interns, we request that you allow the student until November 15 to accept/decline the offer. This will ensure that the student has necessary time to make an informed decision. Swarthmore College hosts the majority of fall on-campus recruiting in October and early November.  If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Erin Massey. 

• Campus ambassadors
• International admissions consulting or tutoring positions
• On-campus solicitation or sales of goods or services
• Positions with commission-only compensation
• Hiring students to recruit other students and alumni for the employer’s purposes
• Fee-based opportunities or those that require initial investments to be paid by students to gain employment
• Third-party recruiting agencies that do not disclose the hiring entities that they represent
• Specific employer requests for recommendations of preferred candidates.

Swarthmore does not verify any data provided by students in the recruitment process. It is the employer’s sole responsibility to ensure the accuracy of student data.

In the spirit of Swarthmore College’s Quaker tradition, the College chooses not to host on campus recruiting activities for military organizations. This includes all armed services and organizations primarily involved in covert military operations.

In accordance with Swarthmore College Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Policies and Title IX and College-Defined Sexual Misconduct Policy & Procedures, The College expressly prohibits any form of discrimination and harassment on the basis of any College-recognized protected classification, including sex, race, color, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, marital status, medical condition, veteran status, or disability and prohibits all forms of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation. These policies are in accordance with the letter and spirit of federal, state, and local non-discrimination and equal opportunity laws, such as Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, The Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendments Act, The Equal Pay Act, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and the Borough of Swarthmore Ordinance on Non-Discrimination. All recruiters are expected to adhere to these college policies. In addition, all recruiters participating in our Recruiting Program must be in compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Act.

Career Services at Swarthmore College is happy to assist organizations that provide opportunities for our graduates to teach English abroad, providing they meet the following criteria: 

1. The organization must have a website which provides the following:

• Details of the program, including specific responsibilities of the applicant, how the organization works with applicants in securing teaching opportunities and arranging travel and housing, and support provided by the organization while the individual is abroad teaching
• Application timeline and process
• Fees involved, if any
• An indication of what teaching certifications are required, including: TEFL, TESOL
• Pay structure
• What health coverage, if any, is provided or how candidates would arrange for health coverage
• Safety and housing information
• Clear description of working and living conditions
• Support that the organization provides to teachers while they are abroad

2. The organization must provide the Career Services with at least two references from past participants in the program.

3. The program must be formally structured so that applicants understand the role the organization will play in arranging for their teaching opportunity and the support that will be provided when they are abroad.

The use of alcohol at all recruiting events on campus is prohibited. 

Career Services is not able to sign any internship or externship agreements with employers, organizations, or companies on behalf of the College.  It is important to note that, as a general practice, the College does not provide any type of insurance coverage for or on behalf of students during an internship or externship.  

At their sole discretion, Swarthmore College Career Services reserves the right to refuse service to any employer if a review of the specific opportunity or nature/status of the organization suggests that it is inappropriate for our population.