MIT Sloan’s Recruiting Policies support fair recruiting practices for students and employers in an evolving job market, and assist MIT Sloan students in balancing academics and recruiting.
RECRUITING POLICIES FOR MBA, LGO, AND MSMS STUDENTS
Participating in recruiting during your time at MIT Sloan includes professional responsibilities. The policies below apply to MBA students who engage in recruiting activities during their program, regardless of the source of the opportunity or format of the event. If you have questions about these policies or managing your recruiting process, please contact your MBA career advisors (mbacdoadvisors@mit.edu). Failure to comply with these policies may result in loss of some or all recruiting privileges.
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+ Avoid Reneging on a Job Offer
Reneging on a job offer happens when you accept an offer and do not follow through on your commitment to work for that employer. Whether you accept the offer verbally or in writing, if you accept an offer and later accept another job opportunity, you have reneged on the original job offer — an action that can lead to consequences for the student and the school’s relationship with that employer.
We expect students to withdraw from all applications and not interview with additional firms after accepting an employment offer. A verbal acceptance is considered binding, and equivalent to accepting an offer in writing.
Before you begin interviewing, please consider how you will respond to high-pressure requests to accept an offer. Seek guidance from your MBA career advisor (mbacdoadvisors@mit.edu), as they can advise you on how to navigate this process without violating the recruiting policies. If you are unable to honor your commitment to an employer, notify the CDO Director of Employer Relations & Recruiting (cdo.mitsloan@mit.edu). Please note that employers will also notify the CDO of recruiting violations.
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+ Earliest Deadlines for Employment Offers
We expect companies to extend offers with deadlines that give you time to consider opportunities.
Return Full-time Offers That Come As Result of Internship
November 3, 2023*
MBA 2024: Earliest deadline for a response to a ‘return offer’ from a summer internship
December 1, 2023*
LGO 2024: Earliest deadline for a response to a ‘return offer’ from a summer internship
Full-Time Offers
December 1, 2023*
MBA 2024/LGO 2024: Earliest deadline for a response to an offer
Internship Offers
February 2, 2024*
MBA 2025: Earliest deadline for a response to an offer
*Or a minimum of 15 business days from the date of the written offer, whichever is later.
If you are feeling pressure to accept an opportunity, need additional time to make a decision, or receive an offer with a deadline that does not align with these policies, contact your MBA career advisor (mbacdoadvisors@mit.edu) immediately for guidance.
Offers After April 1, 2024
For any offer extended on or after April 1, 2024, including offers by companies participating in the MIT Sloan Career Fair, students must have a minimum of 10 business days to evaluate the offer.
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+ Pre-Matriculation Recruiting via Diversity Partner Organizations
The Career Development Office is supportive of our incoming students who are engaged in pre-matriculation recruiting activities with Diversity Partner Organizations, including, but not limited to: MLT, Toigo, and Forté, as well as diversity events that are held by our Campus Recruiting Partners. Given that these programs begin prior to matriculation, we encourage students to be in touch with our office so that we can provide guidance throughout your recruiting process. You may reach the Career Development Office via phone (617-253-6149) or email (mbacdoadvisors@mit.edu).
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+ Professional Expectations and Responsibilities
We expect students to demonstrate respect for our recruiting partners during the recruiting process by attending all recruiting events they sign up for, notifying those impacted if they must cancel, submitting job applications on time and with accurate information, and honoring commitments to employers. As a Sloan student participating in recruiting, you are representing not only yourself, but also your classmates, your program, and the School.
Below are important expectations for professional behavior in the recruiting process:
Honor Your Commitment to an Accepted Offer
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An offer acceptance (verbal or written) is not reversible
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After you accept an offer, you are expected to withdraw from all applications and not interview with additional firms
Prioritize Your Academics
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Classes missed for recruiting activities (interviews, presentations, coffee chats) are not excused absences, and may count against your participation grade. This includes any lab course or project sourced by MIT Sloan faculty or staff during January. First year MBA students should refer to the MBA Policy Handbook for the MBA Core Attendance Policy.
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We encourage recruiters to offer alternative dates, times, and formats (including virtual) to accommodate students’ academic requirements. In addition to MIT Sloan students having no classes on Fridays, optional recitations are offered virtually to allow greater flexibility to students needing to travel for recruiting.
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It is always acceptable to ask an employer for an alternate date/time/format to avoid a class conflict.
Communicate Second Internships to Both Employers
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If you pursue a second internship during the summer, you are expected inform both hiring companies about both internships. Please note that there are implications for students with visas; please be in touch with the International Students Office (ISO).
Notify the CDO and Employer When You Must Cancel an Interview or Event
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If you can no longer attend an event:
1) Cancel your signup in Career Central, and 2) Notify the employer.
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For interviews, cancel in Career Central at least two days* before the interview.
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For coffee chats and presentations, cancel in Career Central by 5pm* the day before the event.
*If you must cancel with less notice, please reach out to our Recruiting Team as soon as possible via email cdo.mitsloan@mit.edu or 617.253.6149.
Submit Timely and Accurate Applications
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Provide potential employers with accurate information in all job application materials (resume, cover letter and/or job application) and represent yourself and MIT Sloan with honesty and integrity
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Submit your credentials (resume, cover letter and/or job application) to recruiting organizations according to their timing and application requirements
Demonstrate Professional Business Behavior
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Arrive on-time for scheduled interviews, company presentations and coffee chats.
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+ Violations
Students and employers are expected to honor their employment commitments. If you are unable to honor a commitment to an employer, notify the CDO Director of Employer Relations & Recruiting (cdo.mitsloan@mit.edu).
MIT Sloan will verify information provided by students and employers regarding any violation of these recruiting policies, including (but not limited to):
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Reneging on a job acceptance
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Continuing to interview after accepting a job offer, regardless of source of the opportunity
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Dishonesty or misrepresentation of facts or information to a company or the CDO
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Missing a scheduled interview without proper notification to both the CDO and the employer
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Acting unethically or demonstrating unprofessional conduct contrary to MIT Sloan values and CDO Recruiting Policies
Failure to comply with these policies, may result in corrective measures up to, and including, suspension of some or all recruiting privileges. To reach resolution, the issue may require review by the CDO Assistant Dean, the Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Master’s Programs, or the Dean of the School. If the issue is not successfully resolved, consequences may include partial or full suspension of CDO services and recruiting privileges for a period of up to five years. Both students and companies may be subject to having a letter of violation attached to their recruiting record/file.
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RECRUITING POLICIES FOR EMPLOYERS
These policies apply to all organizations intending to recruit MIT Sloan students, whether in-person or virtual, on-campus or off-campus.
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+ Start Dates for Recruiting Activities
September 4th is the start date for MIT Sloan-facilitated recruiting activities for full-time seeking MBAs organized by the CDO. Employers often begin recruiting activities prior to this date via their own channels.
The schedule for fall recruiting activity is announced to employers each April and is also posted to the YOUR CDO EMPLOYER PORTAL as early as possible to facilitate scheduling. Recruiting activities may be in-person or virtual (and may be subject to change based on Institute policies).
September 4, 2023
Interviews for second-year MBAs may take place any time after September 4th at the discretion of the CDO and in accordance with the academic calendar.
October 2, 2023
Company-hosted presentations (M-Th lunch/evening) and coffee chats (M-Th day) begin for both full-time and internship- seeking students.
January 3, 2024
Interviews begin for internship-seeking MBAs;
the month of January is a Dedicated Interview Period for employers and students participating in recruiting. -
+ Recruiting Expectations and Best Practices
We ask that employers partner with the CDO in planning their recruiting activities at MIT Sloan, and organize a process that accommodates students’ academic commitments and provides for timely communication with applicants.
Employers are expected to:
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Request dates for coffee chats, presentations and interviews through the CDO, to help us minimize conflicts with class schedules and other employer events, so as many students as possible may attend company events. We will assist with advertisement of these activities.
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Be flexible in scheduling interviews and refrain from asking students to miss a class or change an exam for an interview. Classes missed for such activities are not excused absences and may count against the student’s grade.
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Offer alternative dates and times to accommodate students in the event of a schedule conflict, and/or to utilize virtual interview technology to accommodate students’ academic requirements.
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Keep students updated on the status of their candidacy after each round of interviews; we require firms to directly communicate both affirmative and negative decisions within a reasonable timeframe.
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Accommodate LGO students who are recruiting through the CDO for full-time opportunities who will be away from campus for their research fellowship and may require a virtual interview. Refer to the recruiting calendar for specific dates when LGO students may or may not be available for interviews.
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Organize fall semester coffee chats/informational sessions for first-year MBA students in a group format, with two or more students, at times when they are not in classes.
Guidelines for promoting your company on campus:
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Employers are encouraged to offer educational content only in club events with students (discuss industry trends, firm projects, case studies, or other intellectual capital) to promote their brand on campus
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Employers may not request or access student mailing lists, club membership lists, or the online MIT Sloan student photobook. The CDO is happy to help you connect with students for your recruiting activities
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+ Early Recruiting
We believe students should have an opportunity to view a range of opportunities before making decisions, and our offer deadlines align with these beliefs. We support early recruiting as an educational tool, to raise awareness of opportunities, but we encourage employers to consider the impact on students – in particular, early career, URM and BIPOC students – if they are pressured to accept offers before having a chance to consider other opportunities available to them. We believe reducing their opportunities by requiring early decisions is a disadvantage to students as well as employers. Students who accept an offer under pressure are more likely to back out of the offer. Students with offers that have early deadlines are strongly encouraged to meet with a CDO advisor to discuss their options and make a well-informed decision that respects the interests of all parties.
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+ Earliest Recruiting Decision Deadlines
We expect companies to extend offers with deadlines that give students the full amount of time to consider opportunities. This minimizes the risk of reneges in the short term, and supports employee retention longer term. Exploding offers (offers that are withdrawn if not accepted within a very short period of time) and/or high-pressure tactics put pressure on candidates to make decisions without thoughtful consideration of the opportunity.
The following dates outline a reasonable time frame for acceptances:
We expect companies to extend offers with deadlines that give you time to consider opportunities.
Return Full-time Offers That Come As Result of Internship
November 3, 2023*
MBA 2024: Earliest deadline for a response to a ‘return offer’ from a summer internship
December 1, 2023*
LGO 2024: Earliest deadline for a response to a ‘return offer’ from a summer internship
Full-Time Offers
December 1, 2023*
MBA 2024/LGO 2024: Earliest deadline for a response to an offer
Internship Offers
February 2, 2024*
MBA 2025: Earliest deadline for a response to an offer
*Or a minimum of 15 business days from the date of the written offer, whichever is later.
Offers After April 1, 2024
For any offer extended on or after April 1, 2024, including offers by companies participating in the MIT Sloan Career Fair, students must have a minimum of 10 business days to evaluate the offer.
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+ Violations
Students and employers are expected to honor their employment commitments. If you are unable to honor a commitment to a student, or a student has not honored their commitment to you, notify the CDO Director of Employer Relations & Recruiting (cdo.mitsloan@mit.edu).
MIT Sloan will verify information provided by students and employers regarding any violation of these recruiting policies, including (but not limited to):
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Reneging on a job acceptance
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Continuing to interview after accepting a job offer, regardless of source of the opportunity
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Dishonesty or misrepresentation of facts or information to a company or the CDO
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Missing a scheduled interview without proper notification to both the CDO and the employer
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Acting unethically or demonstrating unprofessional conduct contrary to MIT Sloan values and CDO Recruiting Policies
Failure to comply with these policies, may result in corrective measures up to, and including, suspension of some or all recruiting privileges. To reach resolution, the issue may require review by the CDO Assistant Dean, the Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Master’s Programs, or the Dean of the School. If the issue is not successfully resolved, consequences may include partial or full suspension of CDO services and recruiting privileges for a period of up to five years. Both students and companies may be subject to having a letter of violation attached to their recruiting record/file.
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ADDITIONAL MIT RECRUITING POLICY RESOURCES
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+ Recruiting Guidelines from MIT’s Career and Professional Development Office (CAPD)
Students and employers recruiting through CAPD on MIT’s main campus are required to follow CAPD’s recruiting policies and guidelines:
CAPD – Student Recruiting Guidelines | CAPD – Employer Recruiting Guidelines. -
+ Nondiscrimination
MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. We require recruiters to comply with MIT’s policy of evaluating candidates without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status and national or ethnic origin.
