Professional Guidelines for Students

Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business students signing up for an event, program, or advising appointment and making a verbal or written acceptance of an internship or job are making a professional commitment.

PDF of Professional Guidelines for Students

PRACTICE ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR

Some key ways that faculty, staff, employers and your peers can evaluate your professionalism are by how you keep your commitments to:

  • Arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your scheduled on campus interviews.
  • Participate in career programs such as Practice Interview Day, Career Conversations, etc.
  • Attend scheduled faculty, academic and career advising appointments.
  • Accept an externship, internship, or full-time job position.

To practice ethical and professional behavior during the job search, interviewing and networking process, please:

  • Register only for career events/programs in which you are genuinely interested and have the availability to attend.
  • Show up on time and stay for the duration of the event.
  • Only apply to internships or jobs for positions and companies of interest. Do not sign-up for a real interview to practice. Instead, attend Practice Interview Day or call for an advising appointment in the Zhang Career Center.
  • Dress in professional business attire unless otherwise noted. Arrive 10 minutes before your interview time.
  • After accepting an offer of employment, notify the Zhang Career Center and any employer with whom you are scheduled to interview. Stop interviewing after accepting an internship or job offer as it is considered unethical and unprofessional to renege (back out) after accepting a job offer.

CANCELING AN INTERVIEW OR RESERVATION

If you must cancel an interview or attendance at a career program, call the Zhang Career Center as far in advance as possible. The same goes for if you are running late, please, connect to notify the office and to share your expected time of arrival. Typically, cancellation with less than two business days’ notice is unprofessional, and may have consequences for you and for others, including:

  • Wasted time for employers who travel and take time away from work to conduct interviews on campus.
  • Damaged reputation for Haworth College of Business and WMU may result in an employer’s decision to discontinue recruiting visits and sponsorship of career programs for students.
  • Insufficient time for the Zhang Career Center to contact students who are on waiting lists .

Tardiness, no call no shows and late cancellations are considered unprofessional behavior and come with consequences which can include termination of your ability to utilize BroncoJOBS and to participate in Zhang Career Center programs including on-campus interviewing.

No call no show and late cancellation policy