Students Who Are Considering Rescinding a Job Offer

It’s important to consider all of your options before deciding to go back on an offer acceptance. Rescinding a job offer can have negative repercussions for yourself, the employer and other students being recruited at Cal Poly. If you choose to rescind, please be aware that the manner in which you do so matters for your professional brand.

We recommend you review these steps before accepting a position. Our goal is to help you feel confident in your new offer, which will hopefully decrease the likelihood that you will rescind later.

1. When an offer is made, you may ask the employer for additional time to consider the offer. See our employer policy below regarding offers made by an employer recruiting through Cal Poly Career Services.
2. When speaking with the employer about your offer, determine what is negotiable (e.g. start date, salary, vacation time, remote work options, etc.).
3. If you are still waiting to hear from other employers after you receive the first offer, contact them as soon as possible to let them know you have received an offer and inquire about their hiring timeline.
4. To get help with balancing multiple recruitments/offers, make an appointment to meet with your career counselor.

If you are certain you would like to rescind an offer or already have, we recommend that you:

1. Write a thoughtful note to the employer to thank them for the opportunity, apologize, and to the extent you feel comfortable, explain the situation.
2. Do not continue applying to or interviewing with other companies once you have accepted another offer.
3. Consult with your career counselor if you have questions or concerns.

Employers Recruiting at Cal Poly

Employers seeking to recruit Cal Poly students must adhere to Equal Employment Opportunity laws and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. Under Federal law, FERPA,Cal Poly is prohibited from disclosing a student's protected information to third parties. Cal Poly Career Services makes its services available only to employers who do not unlawfully discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.  

Offers and Deadlines

Recognizing that students need time to make informed decisions, employers should allow Cal Poly students sufficient time to carefully consider their employment options. Allowing a student ample time to consider and accept their offer minimizes the possibility of rescinding. The following guidelines are intended to provide students and employers with a fair and transparent timeline for managing the offer phase of the process in this progressively competitive job market. Employers who recruit through Cal Poly Career Services should follow these policies:

• During Fall term, students will have until at least November 15 to accept or decline any offer.
• For students who receive offers for full-time employment at the conclusion of their summer internship, employers should allow until November 1.
• After November 1 of the academic year, employers will allow a minimum of two weeks from the date of the written offer for students to accept or decline.
• Employers are encouraged to be flexible in granting offer extensions on a case-by-case basis if circumstances warrant.

For additional guidance and best practices please review this article published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Undue Pressure and Rescinding Offers

Cal Poly expects employers to honor all offers made to students. Employers should not offer special incentives to induce early acceptance of an offer, expect students to make a rushed decision, threaten to reduce their offer package, or engage in any other practice that puts unreasonable pressure on a student. Career Services reserves the right to deny access to recruiting services to any employer who we determine has not conducted their recruiting efforts ethically.

Rescinding offers to students can put them at an educational, professional and/or financial disadvantage. If an employer must rescind an offer, we ask that you look at alternative options first, such as a delayed start date or providing an internship or job in another part of your organization.

Confidentiality

Employers are expected to maintain the confidentiality of student information, regardless of the source (including personal knowledge, written records/reports, social networking websites and computer databases). An employer should not disclose information about a student to another organization without their prior written consent, unless necessitated by health, legal, and/or safety considerations.

Job and Internship Policies

Career Services reserves the right to determine posting eligibility and decline positions deemed unsuitable for students seeking full‐time, internship, or relevant part-time positions.

Career Services reserves the right to post only those jobs that will enhance students’ overall career experience. In addition, employers must abide by the Cal Poly Internship Policies governed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Career Services will only approve account requests for companies and organizations that provide the following complete contact information:

• First/last name and job title of a contact person
• Email address from the company’s domain and not a personal email account (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)
• Mailing address
• Telephone number
• Website address
• Complete company description

Career Services requires the following information for each position submitted:

• Position title
• Estimated salary or pay range
• Clear job description (primary skills, knowledge and responsibilities)
• Candidate’s requirements (level of education, majors, and level of experience)
• Internship compensation per Fair Labor Standards Act

Unacceptable Postings

Career Services does not accept:

• On-campus solicitation, posting of materials, or sale of products and services.
• A part-time position offered outside of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
• Postings for an unpaid internship at a for-profit organization where Cal Poly exercises oversight over the internship and provides educational credit. This policy aligns with the recently released National Association of Colleges and Employers statement on unpaid internships.
• Postings that do not include an estimated salary or pay range.
• Postings with compensation exclusively based on fees/percentage of sales from others under their sponsorship in the organization.
• Compensation that is exclusively commission (will require a minimum wage salary, if commission is not met).
• Postings where the organization is sponsoring an individual to establish their own business for the purpose of selling products or services, and/or recruiting other individuals to establish their own businesses.
• Postings where the organization requires an initial payment or investment with the organization itself serving as an umbrella or parent corporation. Investment of this type may include, but are not limited to, such things as: requirement to attend unpaid orientation or training sessions; direct payment of a fixed fee; payment to attend orientation or training sessions; and/or purchase or rent of a starter kit, sales kit, or presentation supplies.
• Postings where the organization fails, for any reason, to provide essential information concerning the job description; e.g. commission only, salary, applicant requirements, etc.
• Postings where the employer is unable, or unwilling, to provide written documentation of registration with a Better Business Bureau, if so requested.
• Postings for employers whose primary business is in the cannabis industry will not be approved. Cal Poly adheres to federal law regarding cannabis, and related employers are not permitted to post jobs in MustangJobs, or any other Cal Poly platform, or otherwise recruit on campus or virtually. 
• Employer registrations or job postings for teaching and/or tutors abroad.

Third Party Recruiters

Career Services will approve requests from third-party recruiters if they are hiring for internal roles within their own agency. Career Services defines third-party recruiters as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs, including: 

• Employment agencies
• Search firms
• Contract recruiter
• Online job posting or resume referral services
• Temporary agencies or staffing services
• Outsourcing contractors or leasing agencies

Disclaimer

MustangJobs resources are provided free of charge to employers and to student job seekers. All hiring and compensation for work performed by student employees is handled directly between the student and the employer. Career Services does not perform background checks on students applying for positions, nor on employers posting job opportunities. Employers and students are encouraged to request reference information from each other as needed to establish qualifications, credentials and overall fit between the employer and the student applicant. Cal Poly Career Services does not screen candidates on their work authorization status. Employers are responsible for reviewing, screening, interviewing, and making job offers to students; inclusive of screening for work authorization prior to interviews and job/internship offers.

All job listings are posted at the discretion of Career Services. We will not post jobs that appear to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. Career Services also reserves the right to refuse posting positions that do not support the interests of the University and our students.

On-Campus Interviews

Due to the quality of Cal Poly students, employers need to schedule on-campus recruiting visits far in advance. We encourage employers to reserve recruiting dates as soon as possible so that we may accommodate their preferred date.

• Interview space is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis with priority scheduling provided to our Career Partners
• Career Services will not screen candidates for the employer or adjust campus interview schedules after the selections have been submitted and the students have been notified through MustangJobs
• Employers must abide by Cal Poly Career Services’ Job Posting Policies when attaching the position(s) to their on-campus schedule
• Additional breaks and changes to employers’ on-campus visit must be made prior to the student interview sign up date

Interview Cancellations 

• Employers must submit the cancellation to cs-recruiting@calpoly.edu prior to the employer preselect date.
• The employer is required to send a cancellation statement to all student applicants, providing a reason for the cancellation.
• If an alternate interview date is needed, Career Services will do our best to accommodate this request. However, because employers schedule on-campus recruiting visits far in advance, we may not be able to accommodate the employer’s preferred date.

Career Fair Cancellation and Refund Policy (revised July 2024) 

We understand that circumstances outside of your control may disrupt your plans. However, registrations remain subject to our Career Fair cancellation policy:

• Cancellations made in writing three weeks (21 calendar days) before the event receive a full refund, less a $200 administrative fee. No refunds are issued after this date.
• Career Fair registration fees cannot be applied to future fairs.
• Employers with outstanding fees will receive invoices and reminders. Failure to pay by the final notice deadline will result in referral to a collection agency, with associated fees.
• Organizations must settle all outstanding fees to be eligible to attend future career fairs.
• Employers who do not check in within one hour of the event's start time without notifying Career Services will be considered a “no-show,” and their table may be reassigned. No-shows forfeit their full registration fee and will be billed an additional $200 cancellation fee.
• In the event that extenuating or unusual circumstances affect the Cal Poly campus or beyond, the regular cancellation policy will remain in effect if the Career Fair proceeds as scheduled.