Student Services and Expectations

To ensure the safety, integrity, and effectiveness of events and services, the SJSU Career Center has developed the following list of student rights and services guidelines.

San José State University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation in its education programs or activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus) that receive Federal financial assistance.

Basic Services Defined

Included in basic services is access to:

• Online career learning through www.sjsu.edu/careercenter
• Career readiness modules on Canvas
• SJSU² mentoring platform

NOT included in basic services are:

• SJSU Handshake
• Big Interview
• VMock
• Focus2
• Career coaching appointments
• Career education workshops
• Career fairs and employer events
• Career Closet
• Professional headshots

• Current SJSU Students

  • For currently enrolled and matriculated (degree-seeking) San José State University students, full access to career services is included in fees.  Minimal additional fees may be charged for extended career assessment-services. 

• SJSU Alumni

  • SJSU alumni retain access to select services and career apps for a full year after graduation. Refer to our alumni page for details.

    Other SJSU alumni (alumni who graduated more than one year ago) may access a menu of career counseling options through Career Center Membership packages.

• New and Future Students

  • Incoming students may access career services before the start of the semester upon verifying their SJSU admission with an admission letter or class schedule.  Students gain automatic access to SJSU Handshake access registering for classes. Log in with an SJSUOne ID and password. 

• Open University, Certificate, and Special Session* Students

  • Open University, certificate, and special session* student fees provide access to basic services. 

    *With exception of CPGE programs. Students enrolled in self-support special session certificate and degree programs within the College of Professional and Global Education (CPGE) as outlined below have access to all Career Center services: 

    Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics - Transfer​
    California Library Media Service Credential​
    Certificate in Strategic Management of Digital Assets and Services​
    Master of Archives and Records Administration​
    Master of Library and Information Science​
    Master of Science in Data Analytics​
    Master of Science in Informatics​
    Post Master's Certificate in Library and Information Science

• International Gateways Students

  • International Gateways students are invited to use the Career Center website.

• Non-affiliated Students and Community Members

  • Individuals who are not affiliated with either SJSU or the CSU system may use the Career Center website. 

    Note: Students are advised not to share their login credentials with non-affiliates.

• Access to Events and Services

  • Open-Access Events
    Most Career Center events are open to all current SJSU students, recent alumni within a year of graduation, and Career Center alumni members on a first-come, first-served basis.  In cases when event interest exceeds space capacity, priority entry is offered to current SJSU students in the majors and levels targeted for the event.  Check details for event admission on SJSU Handshake.

    Accessibility
    Career Center events are wheelchair accessible. Individuals requiring Sign-Language interpreters, real-time captioners, or other accommodations for an upcoming event should contact careerhelp@sjsu.edu as soon as possible to make arrangements. 

    Limited-Capacity Events
    Some events have attendance capacity limits, which means that a combination of space limitations and employer requirements dictates such limits. Check details for event admission on SJSU Handshake. Limited-capacity events typically require advance registration for one participant slot per student ID for which access must be confirmed. Registering for more than one slot in hopes of extending your time or bringing in other students may result in loss of privilege to attend the event.  Students who have registered and received confirmation for such events are expected to attend or provide 24-hour notice of their inabiity to attend.  

    Coaching Appointments
    To balance student career coaching needs, career coaching appointments are limited to three per student each semester.  *Drop-in advising is limited to six times per semester (this includes drop-ins offered at the Career Center and/or college success centers). *Please note that drop-in advising may not be offered every semester. Check Spartan Connect for the most updated 1-1 counseling appointment openings.

    Career Closet
    All current SJSU students are eligible to choose and keep one full outfit each academic year.

• No-Shows: Appointments, Interviews, and Limited-Capacity Events

  • Students are expected to honor commitments for career coaching appointments, on-campus interviews, and limited-capacity events. Students who fail to appear for such commitments have taken a spot that another student could have filled.

    Students who are unable to make an appointment, interview, or limited-capacity event are expected to contact the Career Center or employer at least 48 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule, if possible. Failure to provide such notice may result in suspended access to Career Center services. The decision to reschedule an on-campus interview is at the employer's discretion.

• Student Conduct at Events

  • Participant safety and equity are priorities for all Career Center events. Students are expected to behave and communicate with courtesy and equanimity at Career Center events.  Adherence to the SJSU Student Conduct and Ethical Development standards also is expected. Failure to adhere to these standards and avoid the following unacceptable behaviors may result in suspended access to Career Center services and immediate removal from an event. Examples of unacceptable behaviors include:  

    -Stepping in front of other students waiting to enter an event or speak with an employer. 
    -Misrepresenting your event registration status for a limited-capacity event, i.e., bringing a fake ticket to an event.
    -Demanding entrance and/or sneaking into an event after being made aware that an event is at capacity, you do not meet the admission standards, or the last entry time has passed.
    -Serving as an intermediary to pass on resumes of other students to employers. 
    -Asking a recruiter to come outside an event venue to talk to another student who was not admitted.
    -Not meeting event admission requirements, but demanding entry so you can talk to a recruiter you know.
    -Demanding an exceptional length of time (more than five minutes, roughly) to talk to an employer when there is a long line of students waiting to speak with them.
    -Not honoring event ending times to gain exceptional access to employer representatives.
    -Lingering at the exits of recruiting events or following exiting employers to gain exceptional access to employer representatives.
    -Disregarding the directions of career services team members who are managing events.
    -Yelling or using aggressive/foul language when interacting with career services team members who are managing events.
    -Misrepresenting one's qualifications, work authorization, or educational background.

• SJSU Handshake Student User Acknowledgement

  • SJSU Handshake is a career services system for San José State University students and alumni that can be used for seeking employment.  All users of SJSU Handshake agree to:

    Provide accurate information about their qualifications, work authorization, and educational background in SJSU Handshake, including in their online profile, resume, and any supplemental job-search documents they upload to the system.

    Understand that furnishing false information is a violation of SJSU Student Conduct and Ethical Development standards and may result in being blocked from using SJSU Handshake.

    Refrain from posting material that is inappropriate for professional settings in the system.

    Keep their login credentials confidential and notify the Career Center immediately of any unauthorized use of their SJSU Handshake account.

    Authorize the Career Center to release their resume to employers via SJSU Handshake when they have opted to publicly display their profile and actively submitted their resume to an application process. Depending on the contents of your profile and uploaded documents, your personal information, such as name, address, telephone number, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, GPA and most recent previous educational institution attended may be shared. Employers may not share this information for commercial purposes. The default setting of your profile is public to employers, which you may change in privacy settings.

• SJSU Handshake Disclaimer: Fraudulent Postings

  • The Career Center monitors SJSU Handshake employers and job postings, but can't screen deeply every individual employer or job posting due to the large volume of postings. The Career Center, its staff, the CSU System, and the State of California assume no liability for the accuracy of information provided in job listings and do not represent or act on behalf of the hiring authority. Students are urged to validate job postings and use caution when applying. Tips that an employment posting or offer might be a scam:

    You are offered immediate employment with little or no previous interaction with the employer

    You are asked to provide personal information, such as social security, visa, or bank account numbers 

    You are asked to provide payment of any kind for an opportunity, training, or equipment

    The position requirements are vague and do not specify needed skills or expected responsibliities

    The pay is unrealistically high for the work 

    You have not received a written offer for full-time or contract work that specifies scope of work and compensation

    The posting appears to be from a reputable employer, yet the domain in the contact’s email address does not match the employer's website domain, e.g., "cisco@gmail.com" (incorrect) versus "@cisco.com" (correct)

    The posting appears on a list maintained by the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

    As a final tip, students can consult resources from the SJSU Information Technology Department on how to indetify, respond to, and prevent scams.

• Reporting Suspicious or Discriminatory Employers

  • Students who believe an employer has misrepresented themselves or their organization, violated non-discrimination or harassment laws, posted an illegally/unethically structured position, or generally not complied with Career Center employer policies should contact the Career Center at careercenter@sjsu.edu to initiate an investigation. 

    Possibly experienced discrimination or harassment?

    The CSU system provides a CSU complaint process for instances of discrimination and harrassment associated with on-campus employment. 

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission facilitates a EEOC complaint filing for all other employers.  

    Possibly involved in a scam?

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has given the following instructions to individuals who have responded to fraudulent postings:

    The student should immediately contact local police, who will conduct an investigation whether the scam artist is local or in another state.

    If a student has sent money to a fraudulent employer, the student should contact their bank or credit card company immediately to close the account and stop the charges.

    If the transaction occurred over the internet, the student should file an incident report with the Department of Justice Internet Crime Complaint Center.

• Withdrawing Job Offer Acceptance

  • After a student has accepted a job or internship offer, they should cease seeking or considering other positions, even if a more appealing offer is received at a later date.  Withdrawing accepted offers creates negative repercussions that extend well beyond the student’s reputation. In fact, reneging on an offer may lead to an employer ending on-campus recruiting, which affects the whole campus.

    Students who withdraw accepted offers of employment and/or internships may have their access to Career Center services suspended.  In addition, students will be required (under the guidance of Career Center staff) to professionally resolve the situation with the employer. If a student has received multiple job/internship offers and is uncertain how to proceed, they should contact the Career Center for an appointment with a career counselor for assistance in evaluating the offers.

• Equal OpportunityHiring and Work Environments

  • The Career Center welcomes employers who adhere to federal, state, and local employment laws and campus policies in their recruiting practices. Generally, such laws and policies prohibit discrimination and/or harassment of job candidates and/or employees on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, physical or mental disability, age (40 or older), or genetic information. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides detail on how to recognize and protect yourself against discrimination and harrassment.  

The following social media guidelines are based on professional standards from The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and The National Career Development Association (NCDA). These standards emphasize the need to maintain ethical relationship boundaries and ensure student equity and access to career information, opportunities, and experiences. Along with the following guidelines, staff also will adhere to the social media guidelines for SJSU and The Division of Student Affairs.

• Social Media Uses

  • The SJSU Career uses social media for the following purposes:

    To build student engagement in career services by promoting our resources, services, and events

    To provide information and develop understanding about career development and career-related trends

    To engage the career services ecosystem (students, alumni, employers, graduate/professional schools, and educators) in developing student careers

    To foster and manage brand awareness and appreciation

• The Guidelines

  • The following guidelines indicate how we interact with students, alumni, employers, professional/graduate schools, and educators on social media.

• Students

  • Current students are encouraged to connect to the career center’s social media sites to stay informed on career resources, services, and events.

    Staff will not connect with or follow currently enrolled students through their personal social media profiles. When asked for such a connection, staff will respond with the following message: "Thank you for your invitation to connect. To ensure equal access to career information, opportunities, and experiences for all current SJSU students, staff members do not establish personal social media connections with students until after they graduate."

    Staff will not make student recommendations and/or LinkedIn connections unless they have worked directly with the student as a supervisor.

    Staff will not view or share student social media profiles unless asked to do so for the purpose of providing feedback to the student.

    The career center will offer student career education on using social media to build a professional online presence, explore careers, and search for opportunities.

    To maintain ethical boundaries for career counseling relationships, staff will use discretion in social media interactions revolving career advice to avoid giving the impression they are providing online individual career counseling.

• Alumni

  • Staff may connect with alumni through their personal social media profiles at their discretion.

    Staff may promote alumni participation in student-alumni engagement programs, and guest speakers and panelists via its social media platforms.

    Staff retains the right to distribute alumni-generated social media content across our social media platforms.

    To maintain ethical boundaries for career counseling relationships, staff will use discretion in social media interactions revolving career advice to avoid giving the impression they are providing online individual career counseling.

• Employers and Graduate/Professional Schools

  • Employers are encouraged to follow the SJSU Career Center on our social media platforms.

    Employer engagement staff will provide guidance to employers on best practices to promote opportunities through our social media sites to ensure equity/access and avoid overloading limited-capacity events.

    When appropriate, staff will share the dates of employer events and refer students to register on SJSU Handshake.

    Staff retains the right to distribute employer-generated social media content across our social media platforms.

• Educators

  • The SJSU Career Center will follow campus partners across various social media platforms.

    The department may promote career-related content from campus partners, when appropriate.

    Staff retains the right to distribute campus-generated social media content across our social media platforms.