Recruitment Best Practices

Industrial Affiliates Member Program

Wyant College Industrial Affiliates members strengthen the synergy between optics education and the specific needs of the commercial sector.

Learn more about how you can take part and strengthen your recruitment opportunities.

In order to assist companies to most effectively recruit OSC students, we would like to share the following practices we have found to be the most successful.

  • Minimize confusion by assigning one company liaison to interact with the college.
  • Be sure to check when students are typically away from campus using the academic calendar. 
  • It is best to plan your recruitment visit to campus approximately one month in advance. The most effective timeline would be as follows:
    • Four weeks or more from visit to campus:
      • Send job opportunity - find details in drop-down box below.
      • Send information session and/or interview room request - find details in drop-down box below.
    • Two Weeks after Initial Contact: Company liaison replies to OSC contact(s) with any further information needed. This could be requested from OSC contacts or updates from the company. If specific students are of interest for interviewing during the visit, now is a good time to contact the student using the resume information.
      • Include any fliers you wish to be sent to OSC campus and displayed in the Meinel (Optics) Building. QR codes on fliers have become the norm.
      • If your initial contact has not garnered a response from OSC contacts or if the company liaison doesn't have the IA  member login information for resumes, please contact communications@optics.arizona.edu or 520-626-4887.
    • Four days before campus visit: Follow up with OSC contact(s) to ensure all details have been arranged.
    • Keep in mind that the resume site is updated once per year with only slight adjustments throughout the year. 

Industrial Affiliates members now have the opportunity to upload job postings throughout the year, using their IA Member Benefits to login to the Wyant College of Optical Sciences Jobs & Résumés Site. As part of IA Member Benefits, members have premium access to student and alumni résumés and may post jobs as needed. Job postings appear in the next, upcoming Watts Up! newsletter as well as on the website.

Job announcements may also still be emailed to job-postings@optics.arizona.edu. This information should be sent regardless of the company visiting campus. Make every attempt for the announcement to include the following information:

  • Company Information
    • Name, location, and website
    • Type of company (government, military, industry)
    • Include if relevant: company size, company culture, product, mission statement
  • Job description
    • Primary purpose of the position
    • Major tasks
    • FTE (full-time, half-time)
    • Modality 
  • Job requirements
    • Is security clearance required?
    • Are work visas sponsored?
    • Degree
    • Experience
    • Specific skills
  • Compensation
    • Salary
    • Benefits: housing allowance, travel allowance, parking, sign-on bonus, etc.
  • Application Procedure
    • Contact information for questions
    • How to apply

Students appreciate an information session to gain a better understanding of the culture of the company as well as the products and career opportunities there. Companies are welcome to advertise virtual information sessions to OSC students or to host a session on campus. Industrial Affiliate members have the added benefit of the OSC contacts arranging space in the Meinel (Optics) Building for the information sessions. Potential members and others are welcome to contact the Student Engagement & Career Development to request space for information sessions.

For Industrial Affiliates wishing to host an information session on campus, follow the below tips for success.

  • Email events@optics.arizona.edu at least a month in advance of the information session to ensure space is available and students have ample notification. Include the potential date(s) and time(s) desired and any other relevant information.

  • Based on graduate student class schedules, the best time to offer information sessions are in the evenings with a start time between 5:30pm and 7:00pm Arizona time. Some undergraduate students may have conflicts with lab sessions and will reach out to the company contact if interested.

  • The sessions usually include a PowerPoint presentation about the company that is less than one hour in length, with a question and answer period afterwards.

  • Most companies provide the students pizza and soda, while some companies provide a full dinner.

    • Pizza and soda can be arranged by the OSC contact with a local Black Jack Pizza franchise and paid by the company representative at delivery. 

    • Companies interested in providing a full dinner or other refreshments would need to contact the University of Arizona Student Union Catering Office directly: 520-621-1989. An online ordering service is available, but the online order must be confirmed a minimum of 10 days in advance of the event.

  • See next drop-down box if hosting interviews on campus after the information session.

Most companies will interview candidates from their main offices instead of doing so on campus. Companies are welcome to come to campus for this purpose! Industrial Affiliate members have the added benefit of the OSC contacts arranging space in the Meinel (Optics) Building for the interviews. Potential members and others are welcome to contact the Main Library (across the street from Meinel) or Student Engagement & Career Development (just next to the library) to request space for interviewing.

For Industrial Affiliates wishing to interview students on campus, follow the below tips for success.

  • As a part of the initial contact, company liaison should email events@optics.arizona.edu with the proposed date(s) and time(s) to hold interviews in the Meinel Building. Include the job posting, if relevant, name/contact of person(s) to be present on campus, and any other needs you may have.
  • Once the students are selected as candidates for positions, company liaison is welcome to contact the student using resume information to schedule an interview time. If the company liaison wishes to have OSC assist in scheduling, email events@optics.arizona.edu with the list of students to be interviewed at least one week in advance.