To conduct recruiting activities on Handshake, such as engaging with students, hosting events, or scheduling interviews, employers must first receive approval from each institution they intend to recruit from.
A Pending status indicates that the institution has not yet approved your request. During this time, access to certain features will be restricted until a decision is made.
Learn more about the institution approval process in How Can I Get Approved By Institutions?.
Pending job and connection requests
- When you post a job to one or more institutions, your request is automatically sent to each selected institution. The job will remain in Pending status until the institution approves or declines it.
- If you've submitted a request to join an institution's network on Handshake, your connection status will remain Pending until the institution approves or declines it.
While your status is pending, you will not be able to:
- Interact with students at the institution
- Post events
- Request interview schedules
Note: You can still search for and register for career fairs without posting a job or connecting with an institution.
View institution status
1. Click Institutions from the left navigation bar, then click the More Institutions on Handshake tab.
2. To refine your search results, click the white button All filters, then check the box for Pending.
3. The table will display all institutions that have a Pending status, which indicates that the institution has not yet approved your job.
Timeframe
It typically takes 1–5 business days for an institution to approve an employer and job postings. If you do not receive a response within this time, consider reaching out to the institution’s Career Services department.
Once your request is approved or declined, you will receive a notification via email, in-app, or both—depending on your notification settings. To adjust your preferences, refer to Default Notification Preferences (Employers).
Note: Only the institution can change your approval status; Handshake cannot modify it on your behalf.
Contact career services
To find an institution's contact information in Handshake, refer to How to Contact an Institution.