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How to Create an Event

Tawnya
  • Updated

All employers can post events to institutions on Handshake that have proactively approved their company. 

If you have not yet been approved by an institution, refer to How Can I Get Approved By Institutions?.

Events may be hosted on the institution's campus, off-site, or virtually. They can be used to meet students and alumni, discuss current career opportunities, and provide students with valuable resources.

Features available only to Premium partners are indicated by an asterisk(*). For more information, please check out this resource.

 

Create an event 

1. Click Events from the left navigation bar, then click the black button Create Event in the upper-right corner of the page.

 

Create event button .png

 

2. Complete the fields in the Create a new event form:

  • Event Name
    • 85 character limit 
  • Event Categories (select up to two)
    • Hiring and recruiting 
    • About your company 
    • Guidance
    • Networking
    • Career fairs
    • Conferences and more
  • Start & End Dates
    • Click on the calendar icon to select the desired start and end dates for your event.
      • Events cannot be set as recurring. However, events can last for more than 24 hours, *or occur during a 1-on-1 employer-hosted schedule. 
    • Time Zone 
  • Contact 
    • The contact person should be the primary point of contact for any event-related questions.
      • The contact must have an active Handshake user account, and have the role to manage events. For additional details, refer to A Guide to Employer Role Types in Handshake.
      • Note: if their name does not appear in the dropdown, create a contact for the teammate first. Learn more about How to Create an External Contact.
      • Students can also message the contact. Check the box for The contact person can accept messages from students to allow students to message the contact directly. 
  • Where is your event being held? 
    • On-Campus: My company is hosting this event at an institution.
      • Which institution is hosting? (select an institution)
      • Virtual event available: Students can choose to attend virtually or in person. 
        • If yes, enter the Virtual Attendance Link 
      • Tip: add the specific location, e.g., building and room number, to the Description section of the event form.
    • Off-Campus: My company is hosting this event (not at an institution) and booking space ourselves.
      • Where is the location for your event (optional)
      • Virtual event available: Students can choose to attend virtually or in person. 
        • If yes, enter the Virtual Attendance Link 
    • Virtually: My company is hosting this event virtually. 
      • Where will the virtual event happen?
        • *Handshake video session: this feature is only available to Handshake Premium partners with Event Management. There is a 75-person limit for sessions, including hosts.
          • *Would you like to record this session? (select yes/no) 
          • *How many people from your team will host the event? (select or enter number) 
            • Maximum 20 hosts allowed
          • *Student check-in: Request that students check in for this event via Handshake.
        • External Video Platform
          • Web Host URL: This is where students will go to attend your event (e.g., a link to Zoom, YouTube, Bluejeans, or WebEx).
          • External Registration Link (optional): Link to Eventbrite, CRM, or another tool. Students will be redirected here when they register for the event.
            • *Note: Premium partners who have the Handshake Events module enabled can include an external registration link for all event types (on-campus, off-campus, virtual) 
  • Add a registration limit (optional): Limit the number of people who can register and attend this event.
  • Invite institutions to promote your event 
    • For Basic employers, only one institution per event created can be requested. 
      • *Handshake Premium partners can select multiple institution or choose an Institution List if you’re hosting an event for a group of institutions. Learn How to Use Institution Lists.
  • Write an effective description: Describe your event to help attract the right attendees.
    • 2500 character limit
  • *Highlight guests: Handshake Premium partners may choose to add information (Name, Title, Short Bio, Photo) about speakers, hosts, and panelists to appear alongside the description.
    • Maximum 5 participants allowed 
  • Update event thumbnail: 
    • The logo your company profile currently has on Handshake will automatically be added as the thumbnail. However, you may change the branding image by clicking on the small pencil icon towards the right corner of the image. For size and ratio recommendations, refer to our Employer Logo & Banner Guide.

 

3. Click the blue button Save in the lower-right corner to create your event and submit it for approval. 

 

Create event form.png

 

Event overview

Once your event is created, you will be directed to the event Overview page, which features two main tabs. Premium partners will have two additional tabs, denoted by an asterisk (*).

  • Overview: shows general event information including date, time, location, description, activity, and comments. 
  • *Institutions invited: shows all the institutions invited to the event, along with their event approval status.
  • Candidates: shows a list of all candidates who have either RSVP'd to or checked in to your event. Learn How to Access and Message Event RSVPs.
  • Mobile app setup: Premium partners with Event Manager can invite recruiters to use Handshake's Event app on their mobile devices to access RSVPs and submit evaluations. Learn more about the Handshake Events Setup for Mobile App.
  • *Kiosk setup: Premium partners with Event Manager can set up a Check-in kiosk for in-person and virtual events. Check out our Event Check-In Guide (for in-person events). 

overview page.png

 

Inviting students 

Events are available to students affiliated with institutions that have approved your employer on Handshake.

After your event is approved by the institution(s), it will become visible on Handshake. This will allow students affiliated with institutions that have approved your employer on Handshake to discover your event.

To further promote your event, you can invite students via messaging. Discover how to Invite Students to an Event or Fair.

*Premium partners can also invite students who don't have a Handshake account. Learn more about Sharing an Event with Students.

 

 

Event promotion 

If your company has active job postings and the requested event is less than 60 days away, it will be promoted on the job postings at institutions that approve the event.