Employment Services Disclaimer
Villanova University’s Career Center is a centralized center for Villanova’s undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for alumni. We use Handshake for posting full-time, part-time and internship positions. The University does not endorse or recommend employers, and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The University explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about job listings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employer. The University is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment. It is the responsibility of the applicant to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting private, off-campus employment and to thoroughly research the facts and reputation of each organization to which they are applying. Students and alumni should be prudent and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position.
The University’s Career Center reserves the right to determine the eligibility of a posting and to delete postings deemed unsuitable for our students. We will not post jobs that appear to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or gender. All positions requiring a fee for training or participation in a work experience or for any other reason are unacceptable and will not be posted. Any position that does not support the interests of the University or our students will not be posted.
Both students and employers are encouraged to provide feedback to our office regarding their experience through the use of our service. For additional information regarding our services, contact University Career Center via phone at 610-519-4060 or email us at hirenova@villanova.edu
Villanova University Career Center offers Handshake as a resource for employers to connect with Villanova students and alumni seeking career-related opportunities including internships, co-ops, and part and full-time jobs.
Villanova University is not responsible for the content of any information provided by any person or organization on this website, nor is Villanova responsible for the conduct of any such person or organization. Because we endeavor to keep fraudulent and scam postings off Handshake each employer and position is reviewed and approved by someone on our Career Center team. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of postings, it is impossible to ensure that everyone is legitimate. Review our disclaimer [above] for more information.
If you receive a suspicious email or phone message from an employer, have suspicious contact with an employer during an interview or in-person interaction, feel uncomfortable about a job opportunity you receive by email or find on any job board or if a job opportunity seems “too good to be true” do not click on any links and do not provide any personal information. It is extremely important to exercise caution and tell the Career Center by phone at 610-519-4060 or email at hirenova@Villanova.edu.
Generally, if a job posting, email, or interaction with an employer contains any of the following, end all contact with the employer and notify the Villanova University Career Center immediately:
- Offers to pay a large amount of money for very little work or sends you an unexpectedly large check.
- Offers you a job without ever interacting with you.
- Offers to send you a check before you do any work.
- Requests personal information from you such as Social Security Number, bank account numbers, PIN number, PayPal account, credit card information, copies of your passport or license and/or other personal documents
- Requests that you forward, transfer or send by courier (i.e. FedEx, UPS), or “wire” any money to any employer, for any employer, using your personal account(s).
- Requests to have funds or paychecks directly deposited into any accounts by a new employer. (Arrangements for direct deposit or paycheck should be made during your first day or week of actual employment on site – not before.)
If you are wary of a job posting or email or have a suspicious interaction with an employer, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this job promise a large salary for almost no work? Especially if I have little or none of the required experience?
- Does this position offer me a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of my bank account?
- Does the contact’s email address match the company’s website domain? (i.e. JohnSmith@gmail.com rather than JohnSmith@companyname.com)?
- Are there multiple misspellings in the job posting or email?
- Does the posting focus more on the money I will make rather than the responsibilities of the job?
- Does this opportunity sound too good to be true?
Visit the company website. If the company in question doesn’t have a website or the website does not seem to match the advertised job, there may be cause for concern. Note the professionalism of the website. Is there specific contact information? Are jobs and career information actually posted on the site? A lack of pertinent information is a red flag.
Investigate the Company’s References. If you are not sure a company is legitimate, request a list of other employees or contractors. Then contact the references to see how satisfied they are. If a company is not willing to share references (names, email addresses and phone numbers), this is a red flag.
Poor Communication Skills
Be careful when an employer cannot communicate accurately or effectively on the website, by email, over the telephone, etc. If communications are sloppy, how professional is the organization?
Exercise Caution When Asked to Pay Any Fees
Most legitimate employers will not charge to hire you!Don’t send money for work-at-home directories, advice on getting hired, company information or for anything else related to the job. There are some well-known internship programs that do require payment to place you in internships. Remember that Handshake and other databases can provide Villanova students with free help in locating internships.
- Do not give your personal bank account, PayPal account, or credit card information to a new employer.
- Do not agree to have funds or paychecks directly deposited into any accounts by a new employer. (Arrangements for direct deposit or paycheck should be made during your first day or week of actual employment on site – not before.)
- Do not forward, transfer or send by courier (i.e. FedEx, UPS), or “wire” any money to any employer, for any employer, using your personal account(s).
- Do not transfer money and retain a portion for payment.
- Do not respond to suspicious and/or “too good to be true” unsolicited job emails.
- In general, applicants do not pay a fee to obtain a job (but there are some rare exceptions – so be careful, and consult with a professional at the Career Services Center first).
Review Payment Information
When information about salary is not listed on a job posting, try to find out if you will receive a salary or be paid on commission. Find out how much you will be paid, how often you will be paid and how you will be paid. If the company does not pay an hourly rate or a salary, be cautious and investigate further.
Read all information carefully. If the opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Just because a job lead appears in a legitimate publication, it does not mean that the job or company is, necessarily, legitimate. Forget getting rich quick.
You can check to see if a company is legitimate through various websites (some listed below).
- Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/
- Chamber of Commerce: http://www.uschamber.com/
- Hoover’s: http://www.hoovers.com/
- White Pages: http://www.whitepages.com/business
If you contact the company directly, you can ask if the person actually works there. Don’t share personal information unless you are confident that the person and the company they work for are legitimate.
Visit the Federal Trade Commission for more examples and signs of a job scam.
Remember, if you are suspicious of a posting or email, end all communication with the employer and contact the Villanova University Career Center at 610-519-4060.
If you have encountered a fraudulent posting, company or organization, please contact the Villanova University Career Center by phone at 610-519-4060 or email at hirenova@villanova.edu. We will investigate the posting and take the appropriate action.
You should also contact the Villanova University Public Safety Department at 610-519-4444.
If you have sent money to a fraudulent employer, you should contact your bank and/or credit card company immediately to close the account and dispute the charges.
If the incident occurred completely over the internet, you should file an incident report with The United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
Follow these safety tips when going on an interview:
- Always ensure it is in a public place and that someone knows of your plans to interview and the location.
- If your instincts tell you it’s suspicious, it probably is.
- Do not feel pressured to give personally identifiable information in an application if you are not comfortable during an interview or during online/phone correspondence.
- Ask to take the document with you to complete and return so you have time to research the issue further.