OCR (On-Campus Recruiting) Policies

On-Campus Recruiting is reserved for matriculated, degree-seeking students of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This OCR Policy is intended for matriculated, degree-seeking Rensselaer students, distance students and recent alumni participating in On-Campus Recruiting (OCR).

The Career Development Center offers students and recent alumni the privilege of interviewing with employers during the fall and spring semesters each year.  Many employers choose to interview in the fall in order to meet qualified candidates well before graduation.  The CDC strongly advises that students begin their job search in the fall semester in order to fully take advantage of the opportunities available to them. 

Employers pre-select students to participate in campus interviews.  Pre-selection means employers decide which students will be invited to interview.  In order to increase your chances of being pre-selected, preparation, first impressions, and registering for OCR are all important.  Each of these will be explained in greater detail in this publication.  Please take the time to read this manual carefully and completely.  If you have any questions please stop by the CDC to speak with a counselor.  This is a special time in your life and OCR is a special program designed to maximize your career development and job search success. 

It may very well be that in no other time in your life will you find this many employers and this many resources concentrated in one program to assist you.  Participating in OCR will allow you to submit resumes and sign up for interviews for fall and spring recruiting.

This is a good time for you to make sure your resume is professionally written.  The CDC offers many opportunities for you to have your resume critiqued.  Plan ahead.  Last minute help with resumes or advice about interviews may not be possible.  A good time to start preparing is the semester before you participate in OCR. 

Check the schedule of CDC Walk-in Hours and CDC workshops.  In addition, CDC events and workshops will be posted in the Campus Notes section of The Polytechnic each week, and will appear on your RedHawk JobLink Calendar found on your dashboard.

Many of our most helpful handouts dealing with preparing for interviews are available online.  There are also special links to career fair sites and to employer websites so that you can do your homework prior to making a decision about what employers you are interested in.  Before submitting your resume to employers, ask a few questions:

1.        What are my career goals?  For this question you may want to consider how the position and the company will help you reach your goals.

2.        Am I interested in the employer?  For this question you may want to consider location, travel, and training.

3.        Am I interested in the position?

4.        Do I qualify for the position?

Do not submit resumes and sign up for interviews to practice.  You will be taking up an interview spot that someone is serious about.  The CDC offers mock interviews and counseling to help you.  Appointments with counselors can be made on-line. 

To participate in OCR, all students must activate the RedHawk JobLink account with the CDC.  There is an annual registration fee of $5.00.  Activation in the OCR process will not take place until:

1.        You have completed your RedHawk JobLink User Profile on-line.

2.        You have viewed the JOT PowerPoint presentation.

3.        You have uploaded a resume into RedHawk JobLink.

4.        You have paid the annual $5.00 registration fee.

Your registration will be activated within 2 business days of completing all of the above requirements and will remain active for one academic year. 

By registering with the CDC, you give the CDC permission to share your resume with employers.  You will also receive periodic notification of job opportunities, CDC presentations, and special career events every time you log onto to JobLink dashboard. The CDC strongly encourages you to monitor and read posted notices and reminders about CDC events so that you do not miss important career opportunities.

Your OCR registration in RedHawk JobLink is for your personal use only.  Sharing your account is not permitted and may result in loss of OCR privileges. 

All deadlines for submission of resumes are strictly adhered to.  Deadlines are posted well in advance on the OCR job postings, usually two to three weeks prior to interview dates.  Once deadlines have passed, you are responsible for sending your resume to employers if time permits.  Last minute changes or additions to schedules cannot easily be accommodated, given time constraints of employer visits. 

It is the expectation of the CDC that you will conduct yourself in a professional and positive manner at all times when interacting with staff, employers and other students involved in the OCR process.

OCR will demand a commitment of time from you.  The CDC makes every effort to schedule events and recruiting at times that are convenient for students.  However, the CDC must also schedule events and recruiting for the convenience of employers.  Employer Information Sessions, Career Days, the CDC Spring Career Fair, and CDC Special Events are a means for you to meet with employers in a way that is less formal then on-campus interviewing.  The interview, however, is a formal meeting that you will schedule with an employer through the OCR process.  Like other meetings and your classes, you are expected to show up for your scheduled interviews.  Employers are counting on you to be there.  Because of the limited number of interview slots available on each schedule, other students expect you to show up for your interviews too. 

If you sign up for an interview you are making a commitment based on your qualifications and interests in the job and in the employer.  If you cannot keep your commitment you must go through the OCR system to cancel your interview (s) two business days prior to the interview (s).  This will allow the CDC time to open the schedule for other students to sign up in your place. 

There are only two acceptable reasons for cancelling an interview, once you have scheduled it:

1.        You have an emergency or are ill.

2.        You have accepted a job offer.

All cancellations less then two business days prior to the interviews, are considered No-Shows.

Students who do not appear for a scheduled interview will be considered a No-Show.  No-shows will have their registration in OCR de-activated and will lose all interviewing privileges.  After the first No-Show, to re-activate registration in OCR, students are required to write a letter of apology to the employer and hand the letter, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope, to a staff member in the CDC.  The CDC staff will place the letter in the mail and re-activate student's OCR privileges.
The second time a No-Show occurs will result in the loss of all OCR privileges.

If you are extended a job offer, you are expected to notify the employer of your decision to accept or reject the offer within the time specified by the employer. 

If you accept the offer you will be expected to cancel any remaining interviews and withdraw from OCR.

The dress code for all on campus interviews is a business suit for men and women.  The only exception is if the employer contacts you in advance and advises you otherwise.  In this case, the CDC policy is that you come to the interview dressed business casual.  Jeans, t-shirts, hats, and other casual attire are not appropriate attire for interviewing.

The Career Development Center is located on the ground level of the Darrin Communications Center , in Suite 209 .  Our telephone number is 518/276-6234. We are open M-F, from 8:30am - 4:45pm.

The CDC Interview Center is located in the Darrin Communications Center , room 345.  Follow the Great Hall all the way to the back of the building. The reception desk can be found inside the set of double doors.

On the day of your interview, please plan to arrive about 10 minutes early to give ample time to compose yourself, and tend to your personal needs. 

You may take a seat in the Interview Center lobby area.  Employers will come out to greet you at your scheduled time.

Bring extra copies of your resume, transcripts, and other documents that you think may be helpful to employers to assess your interests and skills.

If you have waited past the time when your interview was scheduled to start, see the receptionist in the Interview Center for details.  We do our best to keep employers on time, but sometimes they may be running over with a previous candidate.

First impressions are important so make sure you are groomed neatly, practice your handshake, and smile. 

Direct any questions to the receptionist in the Interview Center or stop in the CDC in DCC 209 for further assistance.

If you have a non-technical major, understanding the dynamics and trends of on-campus recruiting nationally are important.  These dynamics and trends are the same at all universities. 

Although much is made of relationships that define and shape on campus recruiting goals, whether or not an employer recruits on campus is largely determined by:

1.        The job market.  Some degrees and majors are in higher demand than others.

2.        The number of students represented in degrees and majors that warrants consideration by employers for a campus visit.

3.        Past hiring history from the campus.

4.        Present interest by students evidenced by how many attend employer events.

5.        Faculty interest and contacts with employers.

6.        Relevance of the curriculum to the needs of employers.

All of these factors are considered when employers decide on what campuses they wish to recruit.

Many employers from the communications industry, the arts, government, and education do not recruit on campus.  This has to do as much with the costs associated with on-campus interviewing as it does with the unique and boutique nature of their hiring needs.  In many cases students are directed by employers in these industries to apply directly to the organization or agency. 

The CDC continuously stays in touch with alumni and employer contacts in the non-technical recruiting areas.  The result of these contacts can be seen by monitoring the job postings in the CDC RedHawk JobLink postings.  By registering with the CDC you will also receive CDC messages that will inform you of employment opportunities when they become available.

The CDC also maintains links to critical sites that are relevant to non technical recruiting.  These links are available in our website and can be found by reviewing the job search section under the student section. 

OCR may provide assistance to the non-technical student as well.  Use the Career Fairs and Employer Information Sessions as teaching moments to inform employers about your major, your skills, and your interest in working for them.  The CDC provides information on all degrees and majors to employers, but what convinces employers to hire you is your participation in recruiting events. 

In addition, occasionally employers will have openings on their schedules and will, on some occasions, add students from other degrees and majors.  Whether or not you are added to a schedule depends on who the recruiter is, what his or her area of expertise is, and their position in the company. 

The job market for non-technical majors is largely a network-based market.  This means that many opportunities are available through connections you make through faculty, alumni, friends, relatives, and direct communication with employers.  The CDC has many resources dedicated to networking and you are encouraged to make an appointment to discuss how your search for employment can begin.