Recruit-A-Duke Policies and Guidelines
for James Madison University Students
Each fall and spring semester, employers come to the JMU campus to interview for full-time positions and
internships. The Recruiting Services Program enables you to explore a variety of job options and to
interview for positions of interest to you without having to leave campus.
Utilizing the Recruiting Services Program is only one method you can use to conduct a job search and
does not represent the most effective means of getting a job for everyone. It is imperative that you
supplement on-campus interviews with other job search methods. Meet with a Career and Academic
Advisor in Career & Academic Planning to identify additional resources that may correspond with the goals
of your job search.
This document contains information on:
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Student Eligibility
No Show/Late Cancellation Policy
Interview Etiquette
Job Search Ethics
Phone Interview Etiquette
Glossary of Terms
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Undergraduate students are eligible to participate in the Recruiting Services Program during their
sophomore and junior years for internship interviews; and up to two semesters prior to graduation for fulltime employment. Graduate students are eligible to interview for full-time jobs up to two semesters prior
to their graduation date. Students must be currently enrolled at JMU pursuing the completion of a degree
program or may be recent graduates. Interviews are held in Career & Academic Planning (3rd floor of the
Student Success Center) unless otherwise noted on the job descriptions.
FRAUDULENT JOB POSTINGS/SCAMS
Recruit-A-Duke is a powerful job search tool with many legitimate opportunities for students from wellknown and respected companies and organizations. Despite the extensive efforts of our staff members
and the software owners, however, fraudulent postings sometimes make their way onto the system.
Please be aware that while we are diligently examining each job posting to ensure the integrity of RecruitA-Duke, the system is not 100% secure from these types of scams. We wanted to take a moment to
remind you to be actively investigating the legitimacy of a job posting before applying, providing them any
of your personal information, or submitting a resume. Unfortunately scammers are hoping to use the
system as a way to gain personal information from students. The good news is this can be easily
prevented by being sure that you are carefully reviewing each job posting and employer before submitting
anything to them. Be sure to review all available information such as an employer’s website, address and
contact information, as well being aware of the following alerts to a possible scam:
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You must give your credit card or bank account numbers, or copies of personal documents - but
you get nothing in writing.
You must send payment by wire service or courier.
You are offered a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account often for depositing checks or transferring money.
You receive an unexpectedly large check.
To learn more about Fraudulent Job Postings watch this video.
NO SHOW/LATE CANCELLATION POLICY
When you sign up for an interview time, you are making a commitment to attend that interview. Late
cancellations (not made at least 48 business hours in advance) are not acceptable. If you fail to appear for
an interview, or make a last-minute cancellation, you are considered a "No Show". Your Recruit-A-Duke
account will be deactivated and you will be unable to sign up for any new/additional interviews on campus.
To be reinstated in Recruit-A-Duke, you must send a letter of apology via email to the employer and
copies to the Recruiting Services Coordinator, Denise Rudolph and your Department Chair. More than two
"No Show" offenses may result in a loss of all on-campus interviewing privileges.
INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE
You are responsible for remembering the dates and times of your interviews.
Please report promptly for your interview, preferably 10 minutes early, and wait in the lobby area of the
Interview Center.
Always bring an extra copy of your resume with you to the interview.
A thank-you note is considered proper etiquette and should be written soon after each interview.
JOB SEARCH ETHICS
It is unethical to use the Recruiting Services Program for the sole purpose of practice interviews. In
accepting an invitation for an office visit, you are indicating your serious interest in that organization.
Misrepresenting who you are or the qualifications you possess is unethical and may result in termination of
employment once it is uncovered.
Once you have accepted a job offer, your job search is concluded. At this time, you must notify other
employers with whom you may have scheduled interviews to indicate that your status is no longer
active/searching. In addition, it will be helpful to update your Recruit-A-Duke profile online to reflect that
you are no longer actively job searching. Give careful consideration to your options before making a
decision; once you accept a position you are obligated to take that commitment seriously.
PHONE INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE
Following are some suggested guidelines to assist you in making a favorable and professional impression
with employers.
1. Your Voicemail - Make sure your voicemail has a professional-sounding message. Remove any
inappropriate language, music and other recordings. Employers begin to form an impression of you
through their phone contact with you.
2. Return Employer Phone Calls Promptly - Employers are very busy and do not want to spend
unnecessary time contacting you. Return phone calls during normal business hours as soon as possible.
The longer you wait to return a call, the greater the likelihood that employers will assume you are not
interested in the position.
3. Interviewing Over the Phone - Some employers may want to conduct an initial screening interview
with you by phone. Be prepared for this. If you are not prepared to interview by phone when an employer
calls, request to set up an interview appointment at a mutually convenient time. The interview should be
set up within the same week the employer contacts you. Once a time has been set, make sure you do not
miss the phone call. Most phone interviews last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
4. Conducting the Phone Interview - You should be prepared to discuss your qualifications,
experience, skills, abilities and education as you would during a face to face interview. Prepare ahead of
time and outline the points you want to make on paper to make sure you cover all the necessary
information. Remember, the employer cannot see you, so it is appropriate to have a written outline in
front of you to assist you in answering questions. If you are unfamiliar with interview techniques, read
over some of our web resources here. Be able to give the names and phone numbers of at least 2-3
references.
5. Know the Next Step - Before the conversation ends, make sure you know the next step in the
process. Find out when you can expect the employer to contact you again or when it is best for you to call
and follow up.
6. Interviewing Off-Campus - If the employer invites you to an interview off campus, make sure you
write down immediately all the pertinent information including the day and time of the interview, the
business address and directions, the name(s) of the people you will be interviewing with and any other
relevant information. Be on time and take copies of your resume with you.
7. Follow Up with the Recruiting Services Office - When an employer invites you for an interview,
please let the On-Campus Interviewing Program Coordinator know for future reference. Let the
Coordinator know if you were offered a position and if you accepted.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Preselect Interview: An interview in which students/alumni meeting the Event Requirements submit
their resumes to the employer via Recruit-A-Duke. The employer reviews the resumes and then chooses
the candidates they wish to interview.
Preselects: Candidates whom the employer has chosen to interview.
Alternates: The employer may choose a list of supplemental candidates who many sign up if there are
remaining interview time slots after the Preselects have had first opportunity to sign up. During the signup
period, the Preselects have the exclusive right to sign up for the 5 days, then the Alternates are allowed to
sign up the last 3 days of the period.
Open Interview: An interview in which students/alumni meeting the Event Requirements can sign up for
interview time slots and submit their resumes to the employer. Check for open signup opportunities
throughout the semester.
Resume Books: Having a current resume uploaded on Recruit-A-Duke and selecting “yes” on the Privacy
tab under Profile to allow your resume to be included in resume books will provide those employers that
have been granted access by Recruiting Services the capability to search through resumes in the system.
The resume book in which your resume will be included is determined by the information you provide in
your academic profile. If your account goes into a “soft-blocked” status which indicates that you haven’t
logged in for 60 days or more, your resume will be excluded from the online resume books in Recruit-ADuke.
Last updated 08-01-14