It is the time of year when seniors receive job and/or internship offers. You’ve put in a lot of time and effort, and it’s good to celebrate this accomplishment. It’s an exciting time! This note is to review how to accept an offer ethically.

Review the offer details in full, make a final decision, and communicate to the employer whether you accept or decline the offer.

If you accept, remember that you agreed to Middlebury’s CCI Student Code of Conduct which states, “After I accept an internship or job offer, I agree to immediately withdraw all pending applications and cancel all scheduled interviews (on- and off-campus). I will notify my career center that I have accepted an offer.”

This means that it is unethical to continue applying and interviewing for opportunities to see if something better comes along.

It is a small world, and you do not want to burn any bridges. Reneging on an accepted offer reflects poorly on you, can hurt future relations between Middlebury and the employer, and affects other students.

Please keep this in mind as you evaluate your options, and here at CCI we are always happy to help you evaluate and respond ethically to offers.