1. Endeavour to make
full use of the facilities available through their institutional
Careers Services in order to help them make and implement well
informed career decisions.
2. When making applications
ensure that they have properly researched opportunities and organisations
and concentrate on those organisations in which they have a genuine
interest.
3. Be prompt, courteous
and honest in all dealings with employers and notify them immediately
if they decide to withdraw their applications at any stage.
4. When attending interviews
at employers' premises, seek only repayment of reasonable expenses
incurred.
5. Once an offer has
been accepted, decline all other offers and cancel other applications
immediately. If candidates wish to qualify their acceptance in
any way (and the possibility of further study represents such
a qualification) this must be clearly stated at the time of acceptance.
Such qualification may affect the terms of the offer. It would
be helpful if students could inform their careers advisory service
of the choice made.
6. Recognise that both
the offer of a post and its acceptance form a contract unless
conditions are attached to either.
1. Make available material
to give students an objective picture of their organisations and
the relevant jobs within them.
2. Offer equality of
opportunity and avoid in their literature or in their application
forms for employment in the UK any reference that might be construed
as unfair discrimination.
3. As a matter of courtesy
notify careers advisory services in advance:
a) If a direct approach
is being made to any academic department for recruitment purposes.
b) If the employer
proposes to use the services of a recruitment agency.
4. Be flexible and
provide alternative times and dates for selection activities where
these may clash with exams and other important academic or recruitment
selection activities, thus ensuring that the needs and requirements
of students, academic departments and other employers are recognised.
5. Be flexible in the
setting of deadlines for the acceptance of offers. Short deadlines
may limit the ability of students to make informed decisions and
prejudice the recruitment activities of other employers. This
in turn may lead to students accepting offers and then reneging
on them.
6. Pay reasonable expenses
for off campus interviews, always making it clear before interview
if such payment will not be offered.
7. Manage students'
expectations by promptly communicating to them which stage of
the recruitment process their applications have reached including
those that have been unsuccessful.
8.
a) Agree referees
with the candidate and not seek reference from a person not
so designated without the candidates' agreement.
b) Indicate clearly
to the candidate and to the referee whether or not the offer
is conditional on the reference.
9. Clearly explain
the terms and conditions of service in offer letters, and state
whether or not an offer is conditional on degree level, medical
examination, etc.
10.
a) Recognise that
both the offer of a post and its acceptance form a contract
unless conditions are attached to either.
b) Offer compensation
to a student if an offer is withdrawn after acceptance when
conditions, if any, have been met.
11. Be objective and
impartial in their relationships with Careers Advisory Services
and avoid entering into arrangements with careers services that
might be construed as undermining their impartiality.
12. Ensure that the
provisions of these best practices are also complied with by any
agents who act on their behalf.
CAREERS
ADVISORY SERVICES WILL:
1. Make their information
resources available to all students and give proper publicity
to all legally recognised, named employers who ask for it.
2. Facilitate employers'
recruitment programmes.
3. Strive to offer
similar information to graduates of other institutions under Mutual
Aid arrangements.
4. Be objective and
impartial in their relationship with employers and students, and
avoid entering into any arrangements that might be construed as
undermining the impartiality of careers services.
5. Deal with private
agencies representing employers only if:
a) The employers
have commissioned the agency to act on their behalf and the
agency states which employers it represents, provides information
about, and interviews only for those employers.
b) The careers service
is satisfied that such representation is clearly in the interests
of students.
6. Not to be required
to guarantee the display/distribution of unsolicited literature
sent to services in bulk, nor to advertise non-AGCAS ventures
to students and/or former students.
