Commision-based positions are only posted to alumni in Handshake and caution is highly encouraged with all commission-based jobs. Various payment plans exist and it is your responsibility to know what kind of financial commitment you are making both in terms of how much you’ll need to invest and how much you’ll make. Many reputable, well-known companies have very clear payment structures that they will outline during your interview process.
If you are offered an interview, we suggest you ask questions regarding their pay structure to increase your level of understanding. Suggested questions can be found below. We also recommend that you have any contract reviewed by a lawyer or trusted professional before you sign. (Currently enrolled students may consult Student Legal Services)
Consider asking these questions
- Does this job have a base salary? Is that base guaranteed or is it based on my performance levels? Will I have to pay back a portion of the base salary I am given at any time?
- Does this job have a set working schedule?
- Does this job offer benefits such as health care, retirement and 401(k) plans; tax withholdings; and other corporate payroll services?
- If travel is required is there an expense account? If there is not an expense account, will I be reimbursed for my expenditures?
If you have further questions about this, email career@colorado.edu or call 303-492-6541.
Co-ops are formal, long-term agreements focusing on actual workplace learning. The agreement is among three parties: the student, the company and the university. Before contacting the company to apply, be sure to contact the appropriate CU Boulder engineering co-op coordinator listed under “Co-op Key Contacts.”
Career Services strives to keep fraudulent postings off of Handshake by using common “red flags” that are considered suspicious. “Red flags” don't automatically remove a posting; we research the company and posting if suspicion arises and then make a decision. You should research suspicious companies or postings too or don’t apply. If a position sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Avoid job posting scams
- Do not give your personal bank account, PayPal account or credit card numbers to a new employer.
- Do not agree to have funds or paychecks direct deposited into any of your accounts by a new employer – you should know them first. (Most employers give the option of direct deposit or a paycheck, and make these arrangements during your first day or week of actual employment on-site, not before.)
- Do not forward, transfer, send by courier (e.g., FedEx, UPS) or “wire” any money to or for any employer using your personal account(s).
- Do not transfer money and retain a portion of 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 Career Services first).
Help us help you! Report any suspicious employers to our employer team.
Undergraduate students may have a full-time, 40 hour/week internship only if they formally withdraw from the university before the academic period begins. Questions may be addressed to withdraw@colorado.edu or by calling 303-492-8673. Graduate students must apply for a leave of absence and be accepted before accepting a full-time internship during fall or spring semester.
It is your responsibility to both formally withdraw and to register for the following semester during the normal registration period.
Please note that opportunities abroad may require substantial out-of-pocket expenses for travel, living expenses and other incidentals.
The University of Colorado Boulder has no formal relationship or agreement with the any of the organizations, placement sites and programs advertised or posted in Handshake, nor does it have any supervisory or administrative role in any of these programs. The university does not review, nor does it render an opinion as to the safety, quality and academic merit of any of these internships or alternative opportunity programs and placement sites and in no way represents or acts as agent for any of the internship or alternative opportunity placement sites whose notices or advertisements are attached or posted.
Students assume all responsibility to investigate and to become informed of all aspects of the internships and alternative opportunities posted, and the University of Colorado Boulder assumes no liability for any loss, damage, illness or personal injury, including pain, suffering and death, that may be sustained by students in the course of participating in an internship or alternative opportunity posted through this website.
Students are strongly encouraged to check the Department of State’s Travel Advisories website for information on your intended destination.
CU Boulder expects the highest level of professionalism from all students and alumni in every stage of the job or internship search. This includes being honest in all documents such as resumes, cover letters and job applications and operating with integrity in corresponding with potential employers. It also includes professionalism as it relates to interviewing and negotiating. It also includes reneging on a job acceptance.
Accepting a job offer and then reneging later is one of the most serious professional offenses in the job search process. Reneging for any reason (change of mind, multiple offers, etc.) not only causes problems for the employer in the short term, it can also have long-term implications for your own career development as recruiters have very long memories. A reputation for this type of behavior also travels quickly through the social network and can have further repercussions down the road. If you are feeling pressure to accept offers before you are ready, please consult with a career advisor immediately for advice on strategy.
The consequence of any unprofessional behavior is an immediate block from Handshake. In order to regain access to the system, you will be required to meet with the associate director of embedded career to discuss the issue, how it may have been handled differently and how to make amends with the employer.
To maintain interview schedules that serve recruiters and our students/alumni well, it is essential to have full attendance both on-campus and in off-campus interviews. A student or alum who does not show up at a scheduled interview, or who do not give Career Services or an employer a minimum of 24 hours (working days) notice of cancellation, disrupts efforts by becoming a “no-show.” A “no-show” does not allow ample notification time for the recruiter or our office to seek an alternate candidate for the interview time or to consolidate the schedule. As a result, other students are not allowed the opportunity for an interview and recruiters may choose not to post positions in our Handshake system, due to a perceived lack of interest by students.
The consequence of being designated as a “no-show” is an immediate block from Handshake. The“no-show” student will receive an e-mail notifying him/her of the block. In order to gain access to Handshake again, the student is required to send an apology letter or e-mail to the employer and provide a copy of the e-mail/letter to career@colorado.edu. After reinstatement, an additional “no-show” will result in a permanent block from Handshake for the remainder of the school year (July 1 through June 30). This block may be lifted by Career Services after a meeting to discuss the issue, how it may have been handled differently and how to make amends with the employer.
Updated July 2016
Resume referrals are done for employers who have a job listed in our system but are not receiving the desired response from our candidates. Your resume will not be referred to an employer unless you have selected “yes” to “Allow employers to view my resume?” in your Handshake profile.
Third-party recruiting agencies will sometimes post openings for organizations that have hired an outside company to find candidates. If you decide to apply for a position posted by a third-party agency, note that you will first interview with the agency before you interview with the hiring company. Agencies may not able to reveal the name of the hiring company because it violates a confidentiality agreement. Many agencies also keep a database of candidates so that if you are not hired for one position, they can submit you for positions with other clients. If you do not want to be in a third-party database, do not apply for these positions. If you feel that the agency has misrepresented their relationship with a hiring organization, please email us.