Handshake requires a comprehensive user and employer profile to meet our verification criteria and establish credibility and trust with students and EDU partners.
A robust profile facilitates a faster verification process, and will increase the likelihood that the schools of your choice will approve your company profile.
It will also help set you apart from the competition, and make it easier for you to attract top talent.
Learn how to Create an Employer User Account, Join a Company, and Connect with Schools.
Follow the guidelines below to expedite the verification process and ensure a positive Handshake experience.
Signing up
All employers must provide specific user and company information to join Handshake.
Handshake requires that employer users register their account with their company email address if they have one.
Example: your website domain is abccompany.com, your email ends in the same domain johndoe@abccompany.com.
💡 By doing this, you will accelerate the validation process and ensure a successful experience on Handshake.
Employers that do not have an email address with their web domain are strongly advised to register their account with an email address that ends in the web domain their company actively uses.
The following tips can help accelerate the verification process:
- If you're an independent or small business without a business email, include the email used to register your Handshake account on your website or social webpage, e.g., Facebook Business page.
- If you're an employer who doesn't have an email with your exact web domain, we recommend either including the email used to register your Handshake account or an email that ends in the same domain on your company website.
- Example: your web domain is abccompany.com, your email is johndoe@abccompany.us, and your company uses the email info@abccompany.us for external inquiries. To help facilitate the verification process, place your email or info@abccompany.us on the company website.
- Tip: if you are unable to include the email on your company website and have social media Business pages, e.g. Linkedin, Instagram or a Facebook Business page, and the page(s) are linked on your company website, consider including the email on any of the pages you have setup for your business.
Are you unable to sign-up with a company-issued email, or does your company use a generic email domain? Check out Registering for an Employer Account with a Generic Email Address.
If you'll be using Handshake to post personal type jobs, review Posting Personal, Babysitter, Household, or Caretaker Jobs.
Registering for someone else? Refer to Register for an Employer Account on Behalf of Another User.
- Proof of personal identity (e.g. driver's license or passport)
- Proof of affiliation with the company (e.g. business license)
- Evidence of the company on public platforms (e.g. Opencorporates
Website
Handshake requires that Employer users register for their account with a valid website. A valid website is an official company website that is functional, complete, and accurately represents the company.
We also accept the following webpages:
- Yelp
- Etsy
- Depop
- Youtube (bands, musicians, podcast)
- Indeed
Employers who wish to post personal jobs on Handshake may use the following webpages:
- Facebook (personal page)
- Linkedin (personal page)
For additional information, refer to Posting Personal, Babysitter, Household, or Caretaker Jobs.
Profile
Handshake requires that all Employer users complete the following fields during account registration:
- First name
- Last name
- Make sure to use your real name, as it is important to have accurate information.
- Phone number
- Job title
- Country
Company
Handshake requires that all Employer users complete the following fields when creating a new company profile:
- Company name
- Industry
- Website
- Location
- Enter the complete address, or, at minimum, city, and state.
- Description
- Include a brief overview of your company.
- Example: "The ABC Law Firm is a personal injury and workers' compensation firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. We represent victims of truck accidents, car accidents, slips & falls, workplace injuries and more."
- Note: we cannot accept incomplete company descriptions, e.g.,"law firm", "beauty parlor".
User profile
A well-curated user profile is accurate, precise, and includes your contact information. Add your alma mater, professional experience, and achievements to enhance your credibility.
User settings
While certain fields are optional, we highly encourage you to complete as many as possible.
The following user fields are optional:
- Mobile
- Your phone number is only visible to schools and will not be displayed to students.
- Bio
- Alma mater (Education)
- Profile photo
Explore your Employer Account User Settings.
You can edit the following sections of your Handshake profile to reflect your professional experience:
- Work experience
- External links
To update your profile, refer to Employer Account: Update My Profile.
Tips
- Add your alma mater to your profile to build credibility with school partners and increase access for students to form professional connections with your company.
- Add a profile photo to provide authenticity and convey trust within our community.
Explore your Employer Account User Settings.
Company profile
Leverage your company profile to share your company's story and highlight what makes your brand unique.
Company (details)
Similiar to your user profile, it is highly recommended that you complete as many fields as possible.
The following fields are optional:
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) *
- Public email *
- Note: email should either match your web domain or be company-related.
- Public phone number
You can edit the following sections of your Handshake profile to best reflect your company's brand:
- Description
- Put your best foot forward by providing as many details as possible, such as your company's vision, mission, values, and core product and service offerings.
- Pitch
- Linkedin *
- Facebook *
- Twitter *
- Institution size
- Institution type
- Logo
- Banner
- Create a logo or banner for free with Canva.com if you don't already have one.
Discover how to Showcase your brand in your Company Profile.