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UVA Career Center

UVA Career Center
Students
Employers
Faculty & Alumni

On-Grounds Interviewing

Jumpstart your career by participating in the University of Virginia’s On-Grounds Interview (OGI) Program! Employers from all over the United States want to hire UVA students and they conduct interviews On-Grounds for exciting full-time and internship opportunities.

If you are an employer looking to conduct interviews at UVA, please see our Employer OGI Information.

Eligibility

Students: All current University of Virginia degree-seeking students are eligible to participate in On-Grounds Interviews (OGI).

Alumni: UVA alumni are eligible for OGI if they have graduated within the following time frames:

  • May graduates have access until the next December 31st
  • August and December graduates have access until the next June 30th

UVA College at Wise, Darden School of Business, School of Law, and UVA Medical School Students are not eligible to participate in OGI and should seek opportunities in their respective career services offices.

Orientation

To participate in OGI each year, you must complete the On-Grounds Interview Agreement and agree to all policies. You will then gain access to the interview section of Handshake where you can browse and apply to OGI positions. Remember to abide by these policies throughout the year or risk losing your On-Grounds Interviewing privileges. Please note: you need to complete a new On-Grounds Interviewing Agreement at the beginning of each academic year.

Review the OGI policies and guidelines. A detailed copy of student policies and guidelines can be found below.

If you have questions regarding an upcoming On-Grounds interview please call the Career Center at 434-924-8900.

Logistics

  • During the Fall 2022 semester, virtual interviews may be conducted Monday-Thursday while most in-person interviews will be scheduled on Tuesdays this fall (beginning September 20th). Full-time and Internship interviews will begin on Tuesday, September 20th and conclude on Tuesday, December 6th. Please note that there will be a limited number of rooms available on Tuesdays for in-person interviews and social distancing guidelines will apply for both employers and students. 
  • Once you have submitted your application to an On-Grounds Interview opportunity, you will be notified via Handshake if you are selected to interview by the employer. Please refer to our "On-Grounds Interviewing – Handshake How To Guide for Students" for detailed instructions on how to sign-up for an interview if you have been selected as a primary or alternate candidate for the interview schedule. Additional instructions on how to sign-up for your interview time slot can also be found on Handshake’s support website. 
  • If you have been selected to interview with a company through the On-Grounds Interview program and have taken a slot on the organization's interview schedule, you will be sent the in-person or virtual log-in information and details via email no later than 2 business days prior to the scheduled interview date. All in-person interviews will be conducted on the 4th Floor of Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium (1815 Stadium Road). Please be sure to check Handshake to confirm your interview time and the location information for your interview (in-person or virtual).
  • For virtual interviews, you should log-in to the platform (using the information provided in your confirmation email) at least 5-10 minutes prior to your interview start time shown in Handshake and the interviewer will admit you to the virtual room as soon as the previous interview has concluded.
  • In-person, on-Grounds interviews will take place in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium (4th Floor). If your interview is scheduled to take place in-person, you will receive additional logistics information prior to your interview. Please follow these instructions found in your final interview confirmation email as additional logistics reminders may be included in this message. 

**Please note that the event format for in-person interviews may change should the University provided any changes to current policies regarding visitors on Grounds.

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OGI Policies & Guidelines

OGI POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

The University of Virginia’s ability to maintain a high quality On-Grounds Interview program depends upon strong relationships between the university, employers, staff, and students. Please remember that participating in OGI is a privilege and that students’ interaction with employers affects the reputation of UVA as a whole. As a UVA student, you should adhere to our OGI guidelines in order to continue participating in the On-Grounds Interview Program.

Employment Integrity

  • You must provide accurate information about education, experience, grades, and qualifications on your Handshake Profile
  • You must confirm that any application materials submitted are honest, accurate, and abide by the UVA Honor Code
  • By choosing to list your Handshake profile as public, all employers registered in the system may view it
  • You should only interview with On-Grounds employers that you have researched and who interest you
  • Only claim fair and reasonable reimbursement from employers for off-Grounds interview expenses

Interview Cancellation & "No Show" Policy

You must honor your commitment to interview with companies after you have scheduled times as part of the On-Grounds Interview program. Failure to honor your commitment not only reflects poorly on you as an individual applicant, but also hurts the reputation of the University of Virginia and other students. Please respect employers' time as well as other students' ability to interview with employers of interest.

If you need to cancel a scheduled on-Grounds interview...
  • Leave your interview slot in Handshake as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00pm, three business days before the interview date. Hopefully, other candidates interested in the company will be able to take your place. Double check and make sure that you do not accidentally keep the interview time in Handshake.
  • In the event of an emergency and you need to cancel your interview after the three business day window, you must inform both the UVA Career Center and the employer. Please reach out to the UVA Career Center to obtain additional instructions.
If you are reported as a “no show” for a scheduled On-Grounds Interview...
  • Your OGI privileges will be suspended
  • You must reach out to the UVA Career Center with an explanation of your absence and obtain recruiters details
  • To be reinstated in the On-Grounds Interview program, you must follow all instructions communicated by the Career Center Team
  • You will be required send a written apology to the interviewer for missing your interview
  • You are obligated to honor all of the interviews that you still have scheduled with other employers if your OGI privileges are revoked
  • The Career Center reserves the right to suspend OGI eligibility on a permanent basis for repeat offenses
  • Other OGI offenses include reneging on offers, and misrepresentation on application materials

Accepting Offers

  • You should only accept an offer for employment or internship in good faith, with the full intention of honoring your commitment
  • If you accept an offer, you must withdraw from the recruiting process immediately
  • You should contact the Career Center and communicate job offer acceptance and to learn how to communicate to employers
  • You should communicate your offer acceptance with recruiters of other companies if you still have outstanding offers or interviews
  • You should contact the Career Center before considering reneging on my acceptance of a job offer
  • You should contact the Career Center  if an employer rescinds your job offer
  • You should report career outcomes in Handshake (unless you are enrolled in the McIntire School of Commerce)

OGI Reinstatement Process

A student’s OGI privileges are suspended following:

  • A second on-Grounds interview no show
  • Misrepresentation of student’s credentials

To have OGI privileges reinstated, a student must:

  • Immediately schedule a meeting with a career services representative to discuss On-Grounds Interviewing policies and craft a letter of apology and send to the employer.
  • OGI privileges will be reinstated two weeks following your meeting.

Safeguarding Your Job and Internship Search

HOW DO I SAFEGUARD MY JOB SEARCH?

The Career Center does the best they can to vet employers hosted for On-Grounds Interviews, however, thousands of employers engage with UVA students through our 3rd-Party Recruiting Portal, Handshake.  It is very important for you to educate yourself about potential scams. If you suspect that a Handshake position or employer is fraudulent, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and [email protected]. If you believe you are the victim of fraud resulting from a job listing, please contact the local police as well to report the incident.

DOES HANDSHAKE ASK FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Handshake will never ask for sign-in credentials or personal payment through email. If you receive an email requesting these or containing unusual phrases, spelling, or grammar, please don’t click on any links or reply. Forward any suspicious emails to [email protected].

IS FRAUD COMMON ON HANDSHAKE?

Handshake currently uses a wide range of fraud detection methods including automatic checks, blocking known suspect email domains, and utilizing internal alerts for mismatched domains, which has helped ensure fraudulent activity is very rare on the platform (0.006% or only 1 in every 18,000 employers). Handshake remains vigilant in their efforts to keep the Handshake platform a safe place for students.

Employers should not ask you for any personal information (e.g. social security number, banking information, etc.) prior to you accepting a job offer. If you believe your personal information has been compromised, here are a few steps you should immediately take:

  • Report to local police. Police are responsible for conducting an investigation (regardless of whether the scam artist is local or not.) 
  • Contact your Bank: If you have sent money to a fraudulent employer, immediately contact your bank or credit card company to protect the account and dispute any charges
  • File a Report with the FTC: Please report the job scam to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, which collects complaints about companies, business practices, and identity theft. You can do this here.

Inclement Weather Policy

If the University of Virginia is closed due to inclement weather, On-Grounds Interviews will not occur.

If the University is open all interviews will continue as planned unless you are informed otherwise. If you believe that you are placing yourself at considerable risk by traveling to the UVA Career Center, please speak with someone in our office by calling 434-924-8900 or call the recruiter directly. We will inform you the day before or the morning of your interview if there are any changes in format or schedule.