NIU Department of Accountancy
Ethical Job Search Contract
For Students
The NIU Department of Accountancy requires students who are engaged in a career or job search to conduct
themselves in an ethical manner reflecting the policies and expectations established by the Department of
Accountancy and NIU Career Services. All students who participate in the Accountancy Department
Recruiting Process must sign this contract, which outlines expectations and consequences.
This contract is in place to protect student’s rights during the recruitment process as well as to
maintain the strong reputation NIU Accountancy students enjoy with employers who recruit through
Career Services. Please read this material carefully.
Policies and Procedures for an Ethical Job Search
Accountancy students will:
(1)
(2)
(3)
Attend all required meetings, scheduled interviews, and other job-related commitments.
Represent oneself professionally in all recruiting practices; and
Act ethically when accepting offers of employment.
Information on each of these items is detailed below.
(1)
Attend All Meetings, Interviews, and Other Job-Related Commitments
Information Meetings:

Students are expected to attend a Recruiting Information Meeting regarding Recruiting Policies and
Procedures before signing this document. During the Fall 2015 semester, a Recruiting Information
meeting will be held at 5:00 on September 8, 2015. Students enrolled in ACCY 370 will attend a
meeting during their class session on August 31, 2015. Students who attended an Information session
in Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 do not need to attend a meeting again, unless they need to improve their
understanding of the Accountancy Department Recruiting Policies and Procedures.

Students unable to attend these meetings must schedule an appointment with the Tamara Phelan
(tphelan@niu.edu) to discuss Recruiting Policies and Procedures.
Interviews:
 Students will honor all interview commitments by being on time, prepared, and professional in their
actions. Students not honoring an interviewing commitment will be considered a No-Show (see NIU
Career Services No-Show Policy below).

Students should not cancel a scheduled first interview to attend a second interview elsewhere; the
student should request that the second interview occur at another time.

Cancellation of an on-campus interview, for any reason, must occur before the interview schedule
“Sign Up End Date” on the Huskies Get Hired system – typically 48 hours before the interview. If
one cancels after an interview schedule “freezes” and does not attend that interview, that student will
be considered a No-Show.
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
Canceling an on-site/final round interview must be done 72 hours prior to the visit by calling and
emailing the company contact person. This allows firms to fill the interview slot with another
candidate. Canceling after the 72 hour window has passed and not attending the on-site interview will
result in the student being considered a No-Show.
Commitments and Obligations:


(2)
If a student has arranged a meeting or phone call with an employer, the Accountancy
Department expects the student to honor these commitments by being prepared, professional,
and on time.
If an employer has requested information, presence at a function, an answer to an offer, etc.,
the Accountancy Department expects that a student will honor all reasonable requests to the
best of their ability and in a timely manner.
Represent Oneself Professionally in all Recruiting Practices
The following are practices that should be followed as students begin the job search process:





(3)
Provide accurate information on a resume and in answers to interview questions regarding
academic background, GPA, work history, activities, and other qualifications.
Apply for interviews only when genuinely interested in the company and the position.
Meet all online application deadlines for submitting resumes and obtaining interview times.
Conduct research about oneself, the company, and the position prior to interviews.
Dress and conduct oneself in a professional manner befitting an NIU Department of Accountancy
student.
Act Ethically When Accepting Offers of Employment
If a student feels a company has not provided enough time to accept an offer of employment (please
see the NIU Department of Accountancy Job Offer Policy for Employers), please contact the
Accountancy Department immediately.
When accepting an offer of employment, one must have every intention of honoring that
commitment. If a student accepts an offer of employment, admission to a graduate or professional
school, or other post-graduate career opportunity, he/she must withdraw from the recruiting process
immediately. This includes but is not limited to:




Not applying to future job postings.
Declining all future interview invitations.
Canceling any active applications.
Contacting all recruiters to inform them of one’s desire to be removed from the interviewing and
recruitment process (this includes all scheduled interviews).
Students who renege on an offer of employment may face disciplinary action. The relevant dean will be
made aware of any student who has reneged on an offer of employment.
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NIU Career Services No-Show Policy
Students who fail to attend a scheduled interview or fail to cancel an interview within the timeline
parameters stated in the Ethical Job Search Contract will be considered a NO-SHOW for that
interview. The following details the steps Career Services will take, student obligations, and potential
consequences. Please note that until a final decision is made concerning a missed interview, students
are expected to meet interview obligations for which they are already scheduled.
If an employer reports a student as a No-Show for a scheduled interview, that student’s HUSKIES
GET HIRED account will be deactivated immediately – thus preventing that student from applying to
any jobs or signing up for any additional interviews. To be reinstated on the HUSKIES GET HIRED
system, the student will need to:





Complete a Missed Interview Explanation Form (this will be emailed to the student).
Write a letter of apology to the employer.
Meet with a Career Services member to request reinstatement.
Bring the Missed Interview Explanation Form and apology letter to the scheduled meeting in
an unsealed envelope pre-addressed to the employer (include postage).
Career Services will review the Missed Interview Explanation Form and make its
determination.
The missed interview may be deemed an excused absence. An excused absence indicates a
compelling reason for the absence (serious illness, family emergency), and documentation of the
emergency (e.g. note from University Health Services, rector, resident assistant). If the missed
interview is deemed an excused absence, the student will be reinstated on the HUSKIES GET
HIRED system.
The missed interview may be deemed an unexcused absence. An unexcused absence may be an
absence for a non-compelling reason (copied the wrong date or time, overslept, simply forgot about
the interview), or it may be for a compelling reason but no corroborating evidence was provided.
First Offense: The first unexcused missed interview will result in loss of
application/scheduling privileges for seven calendar days. During this period, one’s
HUSKIES GET HIRED account will be deactivated, preventing one from applying for
positions or responding to companies who extend offers for interviews. Students will be
expected to meet interview obligations previously scheduled prior to account deactivation.
Second Offense: The second unexcused absence will result in permanent suspension from all
on campus recruiting activities for the remainder of the academic year.
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Internship Course Enrollment Expectations
NIU students seeking an academic internship must meet all of the academic requirements for enrolling in
ACCY 473 or ACCY 673, as outlined in the NIU Catalog, by the time the internship begins.
Students who accept an internship with an employer participating in an Accountancy Career Fair
agree to the following:

I will enroll in ACCY 473 or ACCY 673 and pay the required tuition and fees or permit the
Accountancy Department to enroll me if I fail to enroll.

I will not enroll in any other courses during my internship course time period. Exceptions to
this policy may be granted by the Chair of the Department of Accountancy.

I understand that no withdrawal is allowed from ACCY 473 or ACCY 673 unless permission is
granted by the Chair of the Department of Accountancy. Permission will be granted only in
extraordinary circumstances.
Students who accept an academic internship with an employer who does not participate in an
Accountancy Career Fair must:

Submit the job description for the academic internship to Tamara Phelan, Accountancy Internship
Coordinator, for permission to enroll in ACCY 473 or ACCY 673.
I have read, I understand, and I accept and will adhere to the:

Policies and Procedures for an Ethical Job Search

NIU Career Services No-Show Policy

Internship Course Enrollment Expectations
Signature
Printed Name, z-ID, date
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