OCR - Job Offer Policies

In response to students and employers, the Career Center has established a detailed policy regarding job offers for the 2008-09 academic year. These guidelines provide students and employers a framework to assist them in making decisions regarding the employment process. If students' personal circumstances indicate a need to extend these deadlines, students are encouraged to contact employers to request more time.

Summer 2008 Conversions - Offers for Full-time Positions Extended to Summer 2008 Interns
Students should be given to November 1, 2008 to decide whether to accept or decline a full-time employment offer which resulted from a summer internship. Incentives included in the offer should remain available in full until November 1, 2008. EXCEPTION - Per prior agreement, October 1, 2008 will be the deadline for Big Four offers of full-time positions to Summer 2008 interns.

Offers for Full-time or Summer 2009 Positions
Students should be given sufficient time to decide whether to accept or decline a full-time or summer employment offer. Specific guidelines for Berkeley students are:

For offers made prior to March 1, 2009, please allow 4 weeks from the date of the written offer. Incentives included in the offer should remain available in full throughout the 4-week period.
For offers made after March 1, 2009, please allow no less than 2 weeks from the date of the written offer.

Spring 2009 Summer Recruiting Exception - Amended Guidelines for Investment Banks
Based upon feedback received following Spring 2008 on-campus recruiting for summer positions by the investment banks and a subsequent follow-up survey this summer with several firms, we have made the following exception for the investments banks re: our offer guidelines for Spring 2009 summer recruiting: All investment banking firms recruiting for summer hires in Spring 2009 must allow summer candidates at least 3 weeks from the date of their written offer to respond with their offer decision. All incentives must remain in effect throughout this 3-week period.

Exploding Offers
Students should not be pressured to accept offers "early" which have incentives attached involving diminishing bonuses, reduced options for location preferences, etc. Berkeley's Career Center defines an exploding offer as any offer which does not conform with the timetables listed above.

The Career Center also offers students the following guidelines for successfully handling the offer phase of the On-Campus Recruiting process:

Make sure that you have the terms and conditions of your employment offer clearly defined in writing (job duties, salary, bonuses and other benefits, starting date, work location and schedule, etc.). If a formal offer letter does not follow a verbal offer or if you need further clarification about the written terms, please follow up with the employer immediately.
Do not hoard offers. If you are not interested in a particular offer, please let that employer know immediately.
Understand the implications of "exploding offers".
Recognize that not all offers are negotiable, even in a competitive market. Be realistic about your expectations and conduct appropriate research before approaching an employer.
Notify organizations of your decision regarding their offers in the timeframe agreed upon. If you need more time, you may contact the organization for a possible extension. However, it will be the employer's decision whether to grant that request for more time.
Accept an offer only after careful consideration.
After accepting an offer, you are expected to withdraw from the interviewing process. If you are holding other pending offers, you are also expected to immediately notify those organizations of your final decision.
Do not renege after accepting an offer, except in cases of extreme personal emergency.

If you have further questions about these guidelines or the offer evaluation process, please refer to the Job Offers web handout or consult with your Career Center counselor.

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