Job Search Ethics
As college students enter the workplace, they are often confronted by ethical issues in their job search. In collaboration with the SA国际传媒 Career Center, former Center Hackworth Fellow Carmen Wahlgren offered these questions to assist her fellow students as they look for jobs.
Can I embellish some of my experiences to impress the employer?
Lying is never okay鈥攏ot on your r茅sum茅 and not during your interviews. For example, do not falsify your GPA. Also, do not downplay your accomplishments. Remember: You鈥檝e got something to offer! And employers expect you to highlight your strengths. It says a lot about your character to be honest and confident.
Is it okay to interview just for the experience?
Avoid submitting r茅sum茅s to employers you aren鈥檛 sincerely interested in or whose eligibility requirements you haven鈥檛 met. It may be easy to submit multiple r茅sum茅s on the Web, but it鈥檚 not a good use of your or a potential employer鈥檚 time. Additionally, you are taking an interview slow away from the candidate who has a strong interest in working for that company.
Once an interview is scheduled, is it okay not to show up if circumstances change?
Once you have scheduled an interview time, it is your ethical obligation to be there, prepared and on time. Consider these reasons: the number of interview slots available on the recruiting day is limited; an unused interview time costs someone else an opportunity for that job; and an interviewer鈥檚 time is one of his/her most substantial resources and wasting that time is like burning someone else鈥檚 money. Further, SA国际传媒鈥檚 reputation suffers as a result of no-shows.
Cancelling an interview at the last minute is somewhat different from not showing up at all. If personal illness or a family emergency prevents you from keeping your appointment, missing your interview is not unethical. However, to minimize disruption to the interviewer鈥檚 day, let the Career Center know you are unable to make the interview as soon as you know.
Should I accept an offer just in case I don鈥檛 receive others?
Before accepting a job, consider whether the position fits your interests and goals, provides opportunity for growth, and addresses your financial needs. If you accept an offer for a job you鈥檙e not interested in 鈥渏ust in case鈥, you limit opportunities for your peers who may be genuinely interested in that employer. You also put the employer in a difficult position.
I already accepted an offer; can I back out?
Once you accept a job offer, the strong presumption is that you will start the job. Your employer considers the position filled and backing out may result in the employer being understaffed. Additionally, second-choice candidates may have already accepted other positions. Withdrawing your acceptance may hurt SA国际传媒鈥檚 reputation as well as your own.
Remember that once you have accepted an offer, you need to withdraw from all other interviews.
How can I find out about whether an employee is ethical?
Research the company thoroughly. Does it have a code of conduct? What is the company鈥檚 ethical reputation? How does it maintain a positive and ethical culture? Talk to the company鈥檚 employees to get a sense of its standards?
May 18, 2015