Public accounting internship and job offer guidelines

Business Career Services at KU implements offer policies for public accounting, as well as a set of recommended guidelines for all other recruiting scenarios. Guidelines are designed to establish equitable timeframes for students and employers in the recruiting process.

Accounting internship and job offer guidelines

The following guidelines were outlined collaboratively by Business Career Services and the KU Accounting program.

We believe that it’s in the mutual best interests of both our students and our employers to allow adequate timeframes for students to make information-based and experience-based employment decisions. Doing so requires the opportunity to explore a full range of firms before making a commitment. Our hope is that these guidelines will enhance the recruiting experience for both students and recruiting organizations as well as minimize circumstances of reneged offers.

Please note, these guidelines do not prohibit firms from extending early offers. They are also not intended to discourage students who have clarity about their options and are ready to make a decision from accepting an offer prior to the dates outlined below.

2023 revisions

These guidelines exclusively pertain to the hiring of the University of Kansas students for internships. There are no longer any specific restrictions for hiring full-time (FT) candidates. However, we kindly request that you allow a minimum two-week decision period when extending FT offers after an internship or during the regular recruitment process.

Furthermore, there are no longer limitations on when employers can begin interviewing intern candidates. However, for pre-select on-campus interviews, coordination must be done through Business Career Services and is subject to the policies or restrictions imposed by the BCS. Please request on-campus interviews through HireJayhawks or by contacting Cheryl Webb, Business Relations, at cwebb@ku.edu.

Timeline for recruiting and employer responsibilities

A timeline for accounting recruiting and employer responsibilities during the 2023-24 academic year
Recruiting stagePositionsEmployer will keep offer open until
Fall 2023 Campus Recruiting2024 Intern PositionsFriday, Oct. 6, 2023
Spring 2024 Interviews & Leadership ProgramsInterns – Spring 2025 or laterFriday, March 15, 2024

Notes

  • Employers are required to keep offers open until the dates specified above, encompassing all aspects of the offer (such as signing bonus, office location, starting date, salary), without any exceptions.
  • Although students have the option to accept an offer before the closing date, employers are not allowed to state or imply (directly or indirectly) that failure to accept an offer early will negatively impact their career prospects.
  • For situations that do not fall within the specified parameters, employers are expected to adhere to the overall principles and intent of the guidelines.
  • Exceptions will be granted for students considering employment opportunities in other U.S. cities that follow a different timeline for the local recruitment process (e.g., Chicago markets).