Job Offer Deadlines & Policies for Smith Undergrads & MS Students

The Office of Career Services (OCS) has established the following policies for employers recruiting Smith specialty masters and undergraduate students during the 2026-2027 academic year. These are intended to provide a shared understanding between OCS, employers, and students regarding offer deadlines, accepting and reporting an offer, and reneges. Students should utilize these policies when managing offers and requesting deadline extensions. Career coaches are available to assist with all aspects of the decision-making process, and students are encouraged to schedule an appointment for support.

All employers are also expected to review and adhere to UMD policies and procedures to help ensure the best possible experience while recruiting at the University of Maryland. These guidelines have been produced in accordance with the guiding principles set forth by NACE and their Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. Employers are also encouraged to review NACE’s Ethical Application of AI in Career Services and Recruiting.

Job Offer Deadlines & Policies

Employers are asked to follow the deadlines below for offers extended to Smith specialty masters and undergraduate students to make an informed and responsible decision about an offer.

Fall Recruitment for 2027 Summer Internship and Full-Time Job Offers

Spring Recruitment for 2027 Summer Internship and Full-Time Job Offers

For circumstances not detailed above, we strongly recommend that employers provide students with no fewer than three weeks from the date of the formal offer.

Exploding Offers & Reneges

Employers are expected to make a good faith effort to provide a fair and reasonable time frame for students to evaluate offers of employment. Offers requiring a decision on the spot or within a very short time frame are highly discouraged. Students who accept offers without an appropriate amount of time to consider the offer may lead to a decision made under duress, resulting in a potential renege or a less than optimal fit between the student and employer. Students are encouraged to request an extension from the employer if more time is needed to make an informed decision.

OCS considers a renege to be an egregious breach of professional and recruiting etiquette and will take appropriate action with a student who violates our renege policy. However, the Smith School will not enforce this policy if an employer significantly changes the terms of the offer or if it is determined a student was required to make a decision under duress or more than 12 months prior to the start date for that position. Employers are urged to follow the timeline above to reduce pressure on students and minimize potential for reneges.

Notification of Offer Acceptance

Students who have accepted offers are expected to report their accepted internship or full-time role in HireSmith and immediately halt other recruitment activities. All students are urged to immediately release offers they do not plan to accept and are discouraged from engaging in a search process for a position they do not intend to seriously consider. Employers are asked to provide student job offer acceptance information to OCS as soon as the information is available.

On-Campus Interview No-Show Policy

The Office of Career Services (OCS) takes “no-shows” for interviews very seriously as this is considered a breach of professional courtesy, reflects poorly upon the Smith School of Business, and unfairly prevents other students from having an interview opportunity.

OCS requires that cancellation of interviews be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled interview. Students can cancel via HireSmith if the interview schedule is not frozen. If the schedule is frozen, students must call OCS to cancel. Students who violate the cancellation policy (e.g., calling to cancel on the day of the interview, unless in case of emergency) or fail to show up for interviews are considered no-shows and risk losing their HireSmith access until the issue is resolved. Students who have multiple no-shows may risk losing access for an extended period of time. Regardless of reason, it is professional courtesy to communicate in advance if an interview or professional commitment cannot be met.

As a no-show, access to HireSmith will be revoked immediately until the two following actions are taken:

1. Meet with a member of the OCS leadership team or their designee to explain the reason for missing the interview.
2. Write a formal email/letter of apology explaining why you missed the interview. After reviewing with OCS, email the final letter to the employer.

Renege Policy

The Office of Career Services (OCS) considers a renege to be the most egregious breach of professional and recruiting etiquette. When a student reneges on a job offer, this negatively impacts the relationship OCS has established with a recruiter and damages the student’s reputation and professional brand. It also prevents another Smith School student from pursuing that same career opportunity.

Students are encouraged to request an extension from the employer if more time is needed to make an informed decision. Students who wish to discuss offers prior to accepting or declining are encouraged to schedule an appointment with an OCS career coach to discuss their situation in greater detail.

Once a student accepts an offer, they may not continue to apply for and/or interview for other positions via HireSmith, unless those positions do not interfere with the accepted position (e.g., a student may accept a 2027 summer internship but continue searching for a 2027 spring semester internship). Students who continue searching after accepting an offer may lose access to HireSmith and other on-campus recruiting activities.

Students who renege on job/internship offers will be required to meet with a member of the OCS leadership team or their designee and write a letter of apology to the employer. Additionally, a renege may result in repercussions up to and including loss of future recruiting privileges (including access to HireSmith).