On-Campus Interviewing

Each year, dozens? hundreds? of employers come to Mount Holyoke to hold information sessions and conduct interviews. Information sessions begin in the fall and continue throughout the year, so be sure to check the CDC Calendar for upcoming visits.

Company Information Sessions
Many employers will hold information sessions prior to their actual recruiting date. It is very much to your advantage to attend these meetings in order to learn about the company or organization, entry-level positions and potential career paths, and qualifications important for success. Information sessions provide a forum to listen and to ask questions about the organization and/or industry in a neutral environment. These sessions can benefit you both in the short run, providing for a more successful interview, and in the long run giving you a clearer understanding of the industry and the opportunities it can offer.

On-Campus Interviewing
Several weeks before an organization's representative will arrive on campus, the CDC will mail a group of resumes and cover letters for prescreening. The organization will review these materials and select the individuals that they wish to interview. The majority of the organizations recruiting on-campus ask that you submit to the CDC, by a specified deadline, your resume and cover letter (in some cases you may also need to include a transcript and writing sample).It is your responsibility to read the qualifications statement in the job description and to submit the appropriate materials; incomplete applications will not be sent out.

The CDC will notify the selected students to come to our office to schedule a convenient interview time. Interviews are scheduled between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on the half-hour (13 interview slots per day).

Ethics of interviewing & Responding to Job Offers

1. Interviews are considered a personal contract between the student and the employer.  If you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment you owe the recruiter and the College the courtesy of canceling with a minimum of 48 hours notice.  A letter of apology to the recruiting organization will be required.

2. Second interviews are usually held at the organizations home office and in some cases travel expenses are paid for by the organization.  Typically, reimbursement expenses are limited to travel, automobile rental (if required), room accommodations and meals.

3. An accepted offer is a contractual agreement with the expectation that it will be honored.  After accepting an offer, students should inform the CDC, withdraw from the interviewing process and notify other organizations with whom they have offers pending.

4. The CDC expects similar professional conduct from recruiting organizations.  Any inappropriate behavior on the part of the interviewers, on or off-campus, should be reported to the CDC

Interview(s) Cancellation Policy

Adherence to these principles of professionalism will facilitate a mutually satisfying relationship among students, recruiters, and the college.  Good business practices and courtesy to employers and other students prescribe that EVERY APPOINTMENT is kept.  Students are not to "change their mind" and pull out of an interview short of accepting a job offer or facing a personal emergency.  In the event of an emergency (illness or personal crisis) occurring within 48 hours of your interview and you absolutely must cancel, we need immediate notification.  Please contact us at 538-2080 and leave a message on our voice mail to let us know.  Any last minute cancellation (48 hours or less) will require that the student write a letter of apology to the recruiter explaining your situation.  A copy of the letter must be submitted to the Career Development Center prior to any future interview you may have scheduled.

Employer Information
Seniors will find information on each organization recruiting on campus or within the five college consortium in a notebook in the CDC library. The "Employer Data Sheet" for the organization indicates if any special items are to be attached to a cover letter and resume for application. Items to anticipate are: a transcript, a writing sample, or a completed company application form which would be housed in that company's employer file.

Submitted materials must be laser printed and carefully proofread to eliminate spelling or typographical errors. Seniors submit a separate cover letter and resume for each organization with which they wish to interview. In addition, one back up copy of your resume must be placed in your file in the CDC.