1. Career Fair
Organizers Orientation
2013-2014
Presenters:
Colin Codner, Assistant Director for Student Activities and Finance
Deborah Liverman, Director, GECD Career Services
Tamara Menghi, Associate Director, Employer Relations & Career
Programs, GECD Career Services

2. Privilege of Organizing a MIT
Career Fair
• MIT is unique in that student groups organize large career fairs.
But ultimately, MIT is responsible for your group’s actions and
adherence to all policies and laws.
• We have higher expectations for student groups’ organization
of career fairs.
• Relationships with employers are important and goes beyond
your one event.

3. Relationship between Fair
Organizers and MIT Departments
• Student Activities Office (SAO) and Global Education and
Career Development (GECD) are the advisors for all student
run career fairs.
• GECD and SAO approves all new and existing career fairs and
are the key contacts within MIT
• GECD and SAO assists with the organization of career fairs and
are here to help your group.

4. Professional Relations
• Correspondence
– 2 Business Days
– Create an auto-response to your fair’s email address so that
employers know when they can expect a response.
• Payment
– Net 30
– Deposits

5. Financial Information
• Requisition / Purchase Order
• Travel Payments / Reimbursements
• RFPs
• Purchasing Card
•SAVE ALL RECEIPTS

6. Financial Information
• Checks
• Bank Transfers
• Invoice System
– Cost object
– Invoice identification system

7. National Association of Colleges
and Employers (NACE)
http://www.naceweb.org/principles/#careerservices
• Career services professionals will provide comparable services to all
employers, regardless of whether the employers contribute
services, gifts, or financial support to the educational institution or office
and regardless of the level of such support.
• Employers recruiting for work outside of the United States are expected to
adhere to the equal Principles for Career Services Professionals
employment opportunity (EEO) policy and U.S. labor law policies of the
career services office. They will advise the career services office and the
students of the realities of working in that country and of any cultural and
employment law differences.

8. National Association of Colleges
and Employers (NACE)
http://www.naceweb.org/principles/#careerservices
• Notifying employing organizations of any selection procedures that appear
to have an adverse impact based upon the student’s race, color, national
origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or
disability;

9. Recruiting Policies
General
• Recruiting at MIT is available to employers who do not
unlawfully discriminate in the selection of employees on the
basis of national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by
applicable law.
• Serving alcohol should not be part of the recruitment process.
This includes information sessions, presentations done on or off
campus, and all events that are company-sponsored during the
recruiting process.
• Employers knowingly violating MIT recruiting policies may
receive deferred interview dates or be denied access to the
recruiting program for the following season. In addition, students
will be notified of employers who violate MIT recruiting policies.

10. Recruiting Policies
Interviewing
• Employers must provide reasonable time for scheduling campus
and off-campus interviews to accommodate student schedules.
• Invitations for campus second-round interviews must be given a
minimum of 72 hours in advance.
• Off-campus second-round interviews should be scheduled no
sooner than seven days after the student's initial interview.

11. Recruiting Policies
Offers
• Employers must refrain from improperly influencing job
acceptances. (Ex. undue time pressure for acceptance of
offer, encouragement of revocation of another employment
offer.)
• No special incentive should be provided to induce early
acceptance of an offer, nor should students be given “exploding
offers”, offers that expire quickly, provide reduction in offer
package, or put unreasonable pressure on students.
• Offers should include a start date, typically between graduation
and mid-September at the latest.

12. Working with Employers
Guidelines
• Defer all matters regarding hiring MIT students for internships or
fulltime positions to GECD. Do no make any promises to
employers regarding hiring interns or fulltime positions.
• Provide up-to-date information on your organization’s website
regarding Career Fair related events, info sessions or interviewing
opportunities being provided.
• Inform employers of different participation rates and benefits
associated with each rate (sponsor vs. non-sponsor rates and
benefits)
– Please provide clear payment instructions to employers.

13. Working with Employers
Guidelines cont.
• Provide employers advance notice of changes and confirmation of
career fair events and activities.
• Provide MIT’s recruiting policies to participating employers and
post on fair website.
• Guide employers to appropriate resources at the end of your
Career Fair event. (Ex. GECD Career Services for Recruiting
Needs, Conference Services for company presentation
needs, etc.)

14. GECD Resources
• Staffing for Events and Workshops
• 3 - 4 weeks advance notice required
• GECD Interview Space
• Submit requests prior to the opening of on campus recruiting
reservation sign-ups for employers. See on campus
recruiting calendar. Use of space during on campus
recruiting periods dependent on availability.
• Advance notice required by completing the “GECD
Recruiting Cubicles Reservation Request Form”
• Fees will be charged for use of space and staffing

15. GECD Resources
• CareerBridge
• Event registration page
• Card swipe system for tracking attendees day of event
• Mass email to employers appropriate for your fair.
• GECD Marketing Tools
• GECD Career Fair page listing
http://gecd.mit.edu/employers/career_fair
• Digital Display postings
http://gecd.mit.edu/employers/plan/advertise/digital_display
• Guidance in working with Employers and Student Groups

16. Wrap-up & Transition
• Do some type of assessment of the event with organizers.
• Create documentation for next year.
• Let us know who the contacts for next year will be so that we
can communicate with them early on.
• Create an auto-response to your fair’s email address that alerts
employers of when details of next year’s fair will be available.
– Also include how frequent the fair’s email will be checked
now that the career fair is over.
• Register next year’s fair in advance of on campus recruiting
reservation dates for employers. GECD Recruiting Calendar:
http://gecd.mit.edu/employers/schedule/calendar

17. In case of Emergency…
Emergencies Include:
• Severe weather
• Facilities issues (electricity outage, flooding, etc.)
• Safety issues in Cambridge / Boston
• MIT closings

18. Emergency Expectations Include:
• Fair Organizers must create a plan B and submit it to
GECD/SAO at the point of registering a career fair. Emergency
considerations:
– Alternative dates for the fair
– Alternative locations for the fair
– How reimbursements would run if fair was cancelled
• Fairs must abide by all MIT decisions on emergencies.
http://emergency.mit.edu/emergency/
• Fair organizers must inform GECD / SAO immediately of any
decisions based on emergency situations.