If your institution is still hidden in Handshake as you prepare to launch, you can still create an employer account connected with your career services account by following the steps at the bottom of this page, marked with an asterisk.
If your institution is already live in Handshake, you will need to follow the steps in the article How to Set Up Handshake Login Credentials to set up your Handshake login credentials for your employer account.
Creating an employer account associated with your career service admin account provides you with two key benefits:
- It will allow you to view and use Handshake as an employer, so you’re better able to provide support to your employer partners.
- It will allow you to engage in on-campus recruiting, so you and others on campus can hire students at your institution.
In order to link your Career Services account with the Employer account, you must sign up with the same email address that is connected to your Career Services account.
Once you have an employer account, we encourage you to invite all staff members associated with your institution, inside and outside career services, to join the employer account, so they too can enjoy the benefits. (To do this you can send an email to faculty or use the Invite link in the staff management page).
First, find out whether or not you already have an employer account. While logged into your Career Services account, click
on your name in the upper right hand corner of the Handshake platform screen, then click on
Switch Users
. If you don’t see
Switch Users
, or if you click on
Switch Users
and you don't see
Switch to Employers Account
on the following screen, you will need to create your employer account.
To create an employer account associated with your admin account:
- First, you will need to logout of your career services account. Click your name in the upper right hand corner of the screen and select Sign Ou t. This will bring you to the Handshake page where you can create your institution employer account.
- C lick Sign up for an account
- Click the Employer button which will bring up the employer registration form.
-
Fill in
the information
requested.
Be sure to use the same email address and information that you use for your career services account (name, password,etc).
-
The next screen will ask you to fill in your current Handshake password one more time to link your accounts, then click on
Sign Up
.
- The next page will allow you to select the types of students you'd like to recruit, as well as choosing your own Alma Mater. When you've filled out this page, click on Next: Employer Guidelines .

- A window will appear asking if you are a Third Party Recruiter, click the No button, which means that you work for the the employer you are creating the account for.
- Click the Next: Confirm Email button.
- A confirmation page will appear. Anticipate a short wait, approximately 5-10 minutes, before you receive a confirmation email with a link enabling you to confirm your Handshake account.
- When you receive your confirmation email, c lick the link provided.
Note
:
If you don't receive a confirmation email within an hour, click
here
:
- Once your email is confirmed, you will be brought to a page which will allow you to connect with your existing company in Handshake . Click Request to join the company. If your institution does not currently have a company profile in Handshake, you can click Create New Company to set up a new profile. If you do not see the option to Create New Company , reach out to Handshake support for assistance opening a domain space.
- Once you're connected with the company profile, you'll be able to request to connect with your institution in Handshake. You can either scroll through the list or use the search bar above the list to search for the name of the institution, then click the gray and white plus to the right of the institution listing to add the institution.
-
Click on
Next: Finish
Note : When you finish the setup process, you can add staff members to the account or send an invitation link to staff members.
**How to proceed if your institution is still hidden in Handshake:
1a. Go to "Edit" in the top right corner of your School page:
2a. Scroll to the bottom of your details page to find the Employer Approval Request URL. Copy the URL.
3a. Sign out of your Handshake account.
4a. Paste the Employer Approval Request URL you copied into the browser, then proceed to the directions above and begin at Step 3.