Employers in Handshake have the ability to schedule and host meetings virtually or in-person. Meetings are configured as Interviews, Office Hours, or Quick Screens. These function differently from on-campus interviews as they are created and managed by the recruiter, and there's no job posting attached or application required.
While this flow is similar to virtual chats with employers, there are some key differences, which include: the meeting length, option for in-person, and the opportunity to use a different video tool. For more information on virtual info chats, refer to Virtual Chats with Employers.
Signing up for a meeting
To attend an employer-scheduled meeting, you must receive an invite from the employer.
There are two ways an employer invites you to a meeting — the employer may ask for a specific time, or the employer may share a link with you that allows you to pick your own session.
Employer invite for a specific time
When an employer invites you to a specific time, a notification email is sent to your primary email address associated with your Handshake account, with the subject "You're invited to a meeting".
Click the red button View more details, located within the email to be directed to the My Meetings page in Handshake.
For specific details and an example of this email, refer to Employer-hosted Meeting and Virtual Chat Emails (for Students & Alumni).
Invite link shared with you
If an employer shares a link with you to choose your own time, you can use that link to choose a time that works best for you! These invites are sent via the messaging tool in Handshake.
Click the link within the message to navigate to the Meeting Schedule in Handshake that lists available times and hosts.
Note: employers may require that you choose more than 1 availabile time. We recommend double checking the number of slots you need to choose at the top of the page.
If the meeting is recurring, you'll have the option to click on the date to select another day that works best for you.
Click on your desired time, located under the hosts name, then click the black button Confirm interview slots in the lower-left corner.
A lime green confirmation will appear on the page to confirm your slots, and you'll be brought to the My Meetings section in Handshake.
Managing Meeting Signups
Future and past signups are displayed in the My Meetings section of Handshake. Click your account icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, then click My Meetings from the dropdown.
All upcoming Meetings are listed at the top, and past sessions (if any) are listed below.
If you need to cancel an upcoming meeting, click on the company name, then click the link Cancel [MEETING NAME] in the popup that loads.
You'll need to confirm your cancellation by letting the recruiter know why you're canceling by typing in the text box, then clicking the red button Cancel session.
If you'd like to keep the meeting, click the gray button Keep session.
Note: if the recruiter has to cancel the session, a notification email will be sent with the subject "Your session with COMPANY NAME has been canceled". For specific details and an example of this email, check out Employer-hosted Meeting and Virtual Chat Emails (for Students & Alumni).
Scheduled Notifications
Handshake provides two automated reminder emails prior to the scheduled meeting: the first, sent 24 hours in advance, is optional (you may opt into/out of this email in your notification preferences), and the second is sent 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting time.
For specific details and examples of these emails, check out Employer-hosted Meeting and Virtual Chat Emails (for Students & Alumni).
Joining Scheduled Meeting
Meetings can be held in-person or virtually by employers.
- If the meeting is in-person, the address will be displayed on the schedule, and below the meeting name in My Meetings. You'll need to ensure that you arrive on time at the designated location.
- If the meeting is virtual, the Join button, located to the right of the scheduled meeting will be grayed out until 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time — at 5 minutes till, the Join button will activate and turn dark blue — click it to launch a new tab with the video.
Virtual meetings may be hosted via Handshake Video or an external video tool. Refer to the specific meeting to confirm:
- If the button reads Join Video, this indicates the interview is hosted via integrated video on Handshake.
- Refer to Attendee Requirements for Integrated Video for more information to help you have a smooth video experience.
- If the button reads Join External Video, this indicates the recruiter has added a link for an external video tool. Click that button to be taken to that platform.
- Learn more about available settings and options in Attending via Video on Handshake!