OneUSF EmployerRecruiting Policies

The University of South Florida (USF) Center for Career & Professional Development aligns its recruitment practices with the Principles for Ethical Professional Practice established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines. 

Employers engaging with USF students and alumni are expected to conduct all recruitment activities with professionalism, fairness, transparency, and integrity.

Participation in USF recruitment activities constitutes an ongoing agreement to uphold these standards and applicable University policies. The Center for Career & Professional Development reserves the right to review, address, and take appropriate action in response to recruitment practices or employer behavior that do not align with these expectations. 

To participate in recruitment activities, employers must be legitimate, established organizations that:

• Provide accurate, complete, and verifiable information regarding the organization and available positions.
• Provide a professional work environment with appropriate supervision and oversight.
• Offer positions that align with ethical employment practices.

Employers participating in recruitment activities are expected to:

• Provide truthful, accurate, and complete information about their organization and employment opportunities.
• Clearly disclose compensation, job expectations, work location, and employment conditions.
• Communicate in a timely and professional manner regarding applicant status throughout the recruitment process, including notifying students when they are no longer under consideration.
• Protect the privacy and confidentiality of student information and use such information solely for authorized recruitment purposes.
• Comply with all policies, procedures, and guidelines established by the Center for Career & Professional Development.
• May not misrepresent employment opportunities, require inappropriate fees, or engage in deceptive or coercive recruitment practices.

The Center for Career & Professional Development reserves the right to deny, suspend, or revoke employer access to recruitment services at any time if an organization does not comply with University policies, professional standards, or legal requirements, or if its participation is determined not to be in the best interest of USF students and alumni, including:

• Misrepresentation of roles or compensation.
• Actions or practices that may impede students’ academic or professional progress.

Internships and co-ops are intentional learning experiences, distinct from part-time jobs. Our office adheres to definitions established by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) and the Cooperative Education & Internship Association (CEIA). 

We encourage employers to offer roles aligned with USF degree programs. To qualify as an internship or co-op, positions must meet the following standards; otherwise, they should be posted as part-time employment: 

Experiential Learning Standards 

• Educational Focus: Must provide a real-world learning opportunity that supplements—rather than replaces—regular staff work or business operations. 
• Transferable Value: Should develop professional skills applicable beyond the specific organization. 
• Structured Duration: Must have a predefined start and end date aligned with academic calendars. 
• Detailed Position Description: Requires a formal summary of responsibilities and necessary qualifications. 
• Academic Alignment: Must include learning objectives that support the student’s degree program and institutional standards. 
• Expert Mentorship: Requires supervision by a professional in the field who provides regular feedback and guidance. 
• Resource Provision: Provides all equipment, software, and facilities necessary to complete assigned tasks. 

Additional USF Requirements 

• Academic Cooperation: Supervisors must cooperate with academic assignments if a student enrolls for internship or co-op credit. 
• Co-op Structure: Positions must demonstrate progressive skill development over a minimum of 2–3 semesters (concurrent or alternating).Full-time placements in back-to-back Fall and Spring semesters are prohibited. 
• Residential Activity: To ensure student safety and program integrity, activities involving door-to-door residential sales or home installations may be restricted. Approval for such roles is subject to the discretion of individual academic internship programs. 

Note: Individual academic programs may impose additional experiential learning requirements. 

While we encourage paid internships to ensure a competitive and equitable recruiting process, USF adheres to Department of Labor (DOL) criteria to protect students from economic hardship. 

• Primary Beneficiary Test: All unpaid roles must pass the DOL “Primary Beneficiary Test”, ensuring the student—not the employer—receives the main benefit of the experience. 
• Non-Profit Organizations: May post unpaid internships provided they meet all other experiential learning criteria. 
• For-Profit Employers: Unpaid roles are only approved if activities are strictly limited to mentoring, observation, and simulated projects. 
• Prohibited Unpaid Tasks (for-profit): Positions will not be approved as unpaid if the student performs work essential to normal business operations, produces company collateral, or replaces the duties of a paid employee. 
• Academic Credit: Credit is an agreement between the student and USF; it does not replace an employer’s legal obligation to pay for labor. 

The Center for Career & Professional Development, Tampa Campus, offers On-Campus Interviews to support students and alumni in their efforts to obtain employment. Eligible students, alumni, and employers may participate in the On-Campus Interview process. 

On-Campus Interviewing Guidelines 

• Only direct hiring organizations recruiting for internships, cooperative education, or degree-required full-time positions may participate in on-campus interviews. 
• The Center does not establish hiring qualifications; these are determined by the employer. 
• Through Handshake, only candidates meeting the employer’s stated qualifications are permitted to apply for and schedule interviews. 
• On-campus interviews are conducted at the Center for Career & Professional Development Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., excluding university holidays or dates marked unavailable in Handshake. 
• Employers may select interview times that best align with their recruitment process. 
• Employers conducting virtual interviews must adhere to all On-Campus Interview Policy guidelines. 

Job Posting Expectations 

To recruit through USF’s job board (Handshake) employers must meet the following requirements: 

• Company Status – Only established organizations with operational offices in the United States will be approved. Business licenses and verification materials may be requested. 
• Posting Details – Employers must provide complete and accurate information, including:  
  • Organization name, description, website, and contact information 
  • Job description, qualifications, location, and adequate information about their services and/or specifics about their job opportunity 
• Legal Standards – All positions must comply with federal and state Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action regulations and NACE Principles for Professional Practice. 
• Hiring Data – Employers may be required to report hiring outcomes resulting from Handshake postings or recruitment activities. 

All employers and job postings must be in compliance with the Fair Labor Standard Act and NACE’s Code of Ethics. The following employers and employment opportunities are prohibited from posting on Handshake or participating in USF Center for Career & Professional Development recruitment activities, unless otherwise noted: 

All employers and job postings must be in compliance with the Fair Labor Standard Act and NACE’s Code of Ethics. The following employers and employment opportunities are prohibited from posting on Handshake or participating in USF Center for Career & Professional Development recruitment activities, unless otherwise noted: 

• Private Residence-Based Positions  
  • In-home childcare, personal caregiving, tutoring, home healthcare, etc. , positions are strictly prohibited.  
  • Licensed providers must include their state license number on their Handshake profile and job postings.  
• Remote-based Positions 
  • Remote positions must clearly indicate that the work location is remote in both the Handshake profile and job posting.  
  • Students may work from their own home, co-working spaces, or similar locations, but not from an employer’s home.  
• Sales Organizations 
  The following sales-related opportunities are strictly prohibited: 
  • Multi-level marketing (MLM)/Network Marketing/Affiliate Marketing roles with compensation for personal sales and recruitment-based earnings. Sponsors individuals to set up their own businesses for the purpose of selling products or services and/or recruiting other individuals to set up their own businesses. Offers compensation in the form of straight commission, fees from others under their sponsorship, and/or a percentage of sales generated by others. On-campus solicitation, sales, or posting of materials, products, or services. 
  • Sales of health-risk items (e.g., electronic cigarettes, tobacco, firearms). 

The following employment opportunities may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis:

• Independent contractor (1099) must be in compliance with FLSA Fact Sheet 13 and listed as a 1099 contractor definition and link in the job description 
• Franchise opportunities  
• Requires an initial investment (payment of a fixed fee, payment to attend orientation or training session(s), and/or the purchase of a starter kit or product samples) 

Third-party employers are agencies, organizations, or individuals who recruit candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time positions on behalf of other employers—not for their own staff. This includes entities that refer or recruit for both profit and nonprofit organizations, as well as those that collect student information to share with employers for recruitment purposes. 

The University of South Florida Center for Career & Professional Development works with selected Third-Party Employment Services (TPES), doing business as a direct employer or as a contractor with the direct hiring employer, to provide students access to their employment opportunities. Since the Center for Career & Professional Development can neither research nor endorse TPES agencies, guidelines have been established for the protection of students and alumni. The Center for Career & Professional Development, using due diligence, ensures to the best of its ability that third-party employers participating in recruitment are operating as an employer as well as adhering to NACE, state, and federal ethical and legal recruitment standards and principles. 

Types of Third-Party Referral Agents

• Employment Agencies: List job openings for multiple clients and receive payment when a candidate is hired. Fees may be paid by the employer or the hired candidate. 
• Search Firms: Contract with clients to find and screen qualified candidates, with fees paid by the client. 
• Contract Recruiters: Act as an employers agent in the recruitment process. 
• Online Job Boards/Resume Services: Collect job seeker data and display job opportunities for applicants. Fees may apply to employers, schools, or job seekers. 

 
Third-Party Employers as Direct Employers 

• Temporary Agencies/Staffing Services: Considered direct employers. They provide qualified staff to client organizations, but the individuals are employed and paid by the agency. 
• Outsourcing Contractors/Leasing Agencies: Also treated as employers. These organizations supply specific services to client organizations, and their employees are paid and supervised by the contracting firm, even if they work at the client’s location. 

Third-Party Employment Services (TPES) that are not defined as employers are ineligible to use Center for Career & Professional Development recruitment services.  

TPES recruiting for their own internal positions are treated as direct employers and have full access to recruitment services. TPES that are direct hiring parties (e.g., temporary or staffing services) or those contracted to provide services to direct employers (such as outsourcing contractors or leasing agents) are eligible for all recruitment services. 

TPES must identify their employer client to the Center and disclose the client’s name in job postings. The posting must specify that candidates will work through a third-party agency. Positions will not be advertised if the employer client is not disclosed or if the TPES refuses to make this information public. 

TPES must agree to the following: 

• No candidate fees at any stage of employment. 
• Both TPES and their client organizations must be equal opportunity employers. 
• Candidate information will be shared only with the client organization for the advertised position, and not for other positions or organizations. 
• TPES must disclose to students the names of client employers receiving their credentials. 
• Student information may not be shared with any employer without prior written consent, nor used or sold for other purposes. 
• Third-party recruiters at career fairs must represent authorized employers and disclose their names to the Center for Career & Professional Development.  
• Any breach of these policies will result in deactivation of the TPES online account and termination of recruitment services access. 

By using our services, you agree to handle all candidate data with the highest level of confidentiality and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. This information is provided exclusively for the purpose of evaluating and recruiting candidates for specific employment opportunities within your organization. You are strictly prohibited from selling, sharing, or distributing candidate profiles or contact information to third parties, or using such data for unrelated marketing purposes. It is your responsibility to maintain secure access controls and to delete candidate information once it is no longer necessary for the recruitment process or as required by law. 

If any employer or agency believes that its recruitment activities or employment opportunities warrant special consideration due to unique circumstances, it may submit a formal appeal or exemption request to the Center for Career & Professional Development via recruitusf@usf.edu. These requests will be carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account compliance with university policies, ethical standards, and applicable laws. Decisions regarding appeals or exemptions will be communicated in writing, and any approved exceptions must still uphold the integrity and safety of student recruitment at USF. 

The Center for Career & Professional Development facilitates career fairs, events, and recruitment services throughout the academic year to connect employers with University of South Florida students and alumni. These opportunities support recruitment for part-time, internship, and full-time positions across a variety of industries.

Employer-Hosted Events Policy

All employer-hosted events promoted to Handshake and shared with University of South Florida students are subject to review and approval by the Center for Career & Professional Development. To be considered for approval, event submissions must include complete and accurate details, including a confirmed date, time, location (virtual or in-person), and a clear description of the event. Employers must be recognized as credible organizations and demonstrate alignment with university recruiting policies.   Events may not be approved if they contain incomplete or unclear information, promote opportunities that do not align with student career development interests, or are associated with organizations or practices that conflict with university policies or ethical standards. The university reserves the right to decline or remove events at its discretion to ensure a high-quality, safe, and professional experience for students. 

Any changes to an employer’s event registration must be submitted via email to the appropriate campus contact, see below. Any verbal requests will not be accepted.  

Tampa: TPA-Careerevents@usf.edu  
Sarasota-Manatee: SAR-Careers@usf.edu  
St. Petersburg: STP-Careers@usf.edu  

Please allow up two business days for our staff to review an employer’s registration request and send a Handshake invoice. Employers are not officially registered to attend the event until payment has been received and registration approved by the Center’s staff. Payment must be submitted two weeks prior to the event. If payment cannot be provided by this date, please email the appropriate campus contact, see below. If the registration request is submitted after the Payment Deadline, payment of all fees by credit card is due immediately upon registration. 

If payment or a payment plan is not submitted by the posted Payment Deadline, the registration may be cancelled and the booth forfeited to another organization. 

• Sarasota-Manatee: SAR-Careers@usf.edu  
• St. Petersburg: STP-Careers@usf.edu  
• Tampa: TPA-Careerevents@usf.edu  

Credit Card 
Upon registering for this fair, a Handshake invoice will be sent to the registrant with a link to submit payment by credit card through the registrant’s Handshake registration.  

Check Payment 
Check payment instructions vary by campus, see appropriate campus instructions below. NOTE: Failure to follow these instructions will delay the processing of your payment and the approval of your registration. 

• Sarasota-Manatee: Check payments must be submitted prior to the event. Please include a copy of the Handshake invoice with payment. Checks must be made payable to “University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee” and mailed to: Business Office, USF Sarasota-Manatee, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, B 116, Sarasota, FL 34243. For assistance, contact SAR-Careers@usf.edu   
• St. Petersburg: Check payments must be submitted prior to the event. Please include a copy of the Handshake invoice with payment. Checks must be made payable to “USFSP Career Services” and mailed to: USFSP Career Services Office 140 7th Avenue South SLC 2300, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. For assistance, contact STP-Careers@usf.edu   
• Tampa: If a check is required for payment, email TPA-Careerevents@usf.edu. Do not generate or mail a check to the university based on the Handshake invoice; a separate university-generated invoice is required to submit check.

Outstanding Payments 
Any unpaid invoices from previous events will prevent employers from registering for any upcoming career events and may result in a hold on the company’s Handshake account.  

Cancellation Deadline 

All event cancellations must be submitted in writing by the designated Cancellation Deadline, which is two (2) weeks prior to the event date, to be eligible for a refund. Written cancellation requests must be emailed to the appropriate campus contact, see below in Questions and Assistance. 
 
Cancellations received after the Cancellation Deadline, as well as organizations that do not attend or check in on the day of the event (“no-shows”), are responsible for full registration payment, regardless of payment status at the time of the event. No-shows with unpaid invoices remain responsible for payment in full. 

Refund Eligibility 

Refunds will be issued only under the following circumstances: 

• The event is cancelled in its entirety by the university, or 
• A written cancellation request is (a) emailed to the appropriate campus contact, see below in Questions and Assistance and (b) sent prior to the Cancellation Deadline (two weeks before the event). 

Requests submitted within two (2) weeks of the event date fall outside the refund window and will not be considered. Organizations should allow up to three (3) weeks following the event date for refund notification and processing. 

Modality Changes and Attendance 

Refunds will not be issued for changes in event modality, including—but not limited to—changes from in-person to virtual formats. Attendance and engagement levels for both virtual and in-person events cannot be guaranteed, and refunds will not be granted due to low student attendance, participation, or engagement. 

Questions and Assistance 

For questions regarding cancellations, refunds, or this policy, please contact the appropriate campus contact, see below. 

Tampa: TPA-Careerevents@usf.edu  
Sarasota-Manatee: SAR-Careers@usf.edu  
St. Petersburg: STP-Careers@usf.edu  

All career fairs and events are scheduled to take place rain or shine. In the event a career fair must be canceled or rescheduled due to extreme weather conditions (e.g., a hurricane) or a University-mandated closure, any fees already paid will be credited toward: 

• The rescheduled event, or 
• Another career fair of comparable size and scope held during the following semester. 

Alternatively, any fees paid may be offered as a refund, at the discretion of the Center for Career & Professional Development.  

Notwithstanding any other term of this agreement, if the University of South Florida’s performance of its obligations under this Event Agreement, including provision of event, Wi-Fi, materials handling, or food services, is materially hampered, interrupted, or interfered with; or illegal, impossible, or so difficult or expensive as to be commercially impracticable; or by reason of any fire, casualty, lockout, strike, labor conditions, unavoidable accident, riot, war, act of terrorism, epidemic, pandemic, public health emergency, or act of God, including inclement weather that requires the closure of or limitation of services on the University campus; or by any other unforeseeable event or extraordinary circumstance beyond the University’s control; or by the enactment, issuance, or operation of any municipal, county, State, or federal law or ordinance, or executive, administrative, governmental, or judicial regulation, order, or decree; or by any directive by the University of South Florida; or by any local or national emergency, the University of South Florida shall be excused from performance or underperformance of this Event Agreement. The University of South Florida retains the right to issue refunds at its sole discretion. 

Photos and videos will be taken at our events. By attending any Center for Career & Professional Development event, you are acknowledging and agreeing to appear in these photos and/or videos, which may be used for public marketing purposes.  

If you would like to opt out of being included in any photos or videos that at our events or in any subsequent marketing, please email the appropriate campus contact, see below. 

Tampa: TPA-Careerevents@usf.edu  
Sarasota-Manatee: SAR-Careers@usf.edu  
St. Petersburg: STP-Careers@usf.edu  

Attendees are solely responsible for their personal belongings at all times during one of our events. The Center for Career & Professional Development is not responsible or liable for any lost, stolen, misplaced, or damaged items, including but not limited to personal property, equipment, vehicles, bags, electronics, clothing, or valuables, regardless of cause. 

By attending the event, attendees acknowledge and accept all risks related to their personal property and agree that The Center for Career & Professional Development, its staff, volunteers, vendors, venue partners, and affiliates shall not be held liable for any loss, theft, or damage occurring during or after the event. 

For Material Handling services purchased, USF is not responsible for packages that are misdelivered or damaged prior to delivery to our offices, or are delivered late by the carrier. 

Experience shows that the best employment decisions for both students and employers are those that are made without pressure and with the greatest amount of information. It is less likely for the candidate to renege on job acceptances when given time to fully consider career options.  When extending an offer, employers must: 

• Clearly communicate in the offer the start date, acceptance deadline, and compensation structure in writing
• Convey hiring decisions within a reasonable timeframe and communicate that timeline in advance 

Compensation means bona fide positions classified as salaried or hourly that comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.  The salary or wage must be equal to or greater than the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is greater, and fully comply with all applicable federal, state, and local labor laws and regulations. 

Base salary, plus commission roles, must clearly disclose compensation details in job postings and during recruiting activities.  The disclosures must explain base pay,  

commission structure, and realistic estimates of expected earnings.    

Positions that rely solely on speculative forms of compensation are not permitted. This includes:

• 100% commission-based compensation
• Compensation offered solely through stock options, equity, cryptocurrency, tokens, or similar speculative assets

Compensation must comply with applicable wage and labor laws and include clearly defined and transparent payment structures.

Employers are expected to refrain from practices such as exploding offers that improperly influence and place undue pressure on job acceptance decisions. Employers must avoid: 

• Exploding offers that pressures a candidate to accept or decline within an unreasonably short timeframe or before completing other interviews are prohibited.  
• Encouragement candidates to renege on previously accepted offers 
• Any recruiting practices that compromise ethical decision-making 

Employers should avoid rescinding a job offer due to immediate and long-term implications for students’ career options.  If there is a special circumstance where a job offer must be withdrawn, employers should act promptly, transparently, and fairly.  Employers may want to consider financial assistance to cover costs such as moving expenses incurred due to the offer.