Career Fairs

Schools are able to host virtual fairs in Handshake, and employers can register similarly to in-person fairs. Once the employer's registration is approved by the school, employers are able to generate session schedules for representatives that will be present.

Employers are able to host two types of sessions to interact with students:

1.  Group Sessions: 30 minutes each

• multiple students can attend

2.  1:1 Sessions:

• 10 minutes each
• one student and one employer representative can attend

In these sessions, employers will be identified as the Host, and they will be able to share their screen with participants.

Navigate to the Events page (via the top menu bar) in Handshake, then use the Virtual filter to identify virtual fairs.

You can click on All Filters, then uncheck Only posted by my school to discover any fairs hosted by other schools.

If you identify a fair or event you'd like to save to review later, click the bookmark icon to the far right of the name to save it. Use the Saved filter on this page to locate your saved events and fairs.

Click the fair name to load the fair's overview page and review available sessions.

From the overview page, click on the Available Sessions tab to review and sign up for sessions.

For details on this process, please see Signing Up for & Managing Virtual Fair Sessions.

To sign up for Group or 1:1 sessions, you may be prompted to update your profile privacy setting. We recommend using Community to make the most of your Handshake experience, as this will allow you to participate in all fair sessions and engage with other students/alumni!

For more information on profile privacy, please see Profile Privacy Options in Handshake.

Review which employers are attending the fair (follow employers you want to check back in with)!

You'll be able to sign up for sessions at any point, even during the fair (as long as the session hasn't ended).

WATCH NOW: Handshake how-to: preparing for virtual career fairs

Here are some best practices to help you prepare for a successful fair:

• Ensure you have the right setup to support session audio and video. (Chat is available in all sessions.)
  • Handshake Video Requirements & Troubleshooting (Students)
  • Check out Virtual Fairs: Accessibility to see how we've made virtual fairs more accessible and for how you can partner with your Career Center & Handshake to request an interpreter for upcoming sessions.
• Complete your profile
  • How to Drive Profile Completion
• Upload a resume to your profile, if you haven't already!
  • Tip: After uploading, click the blue button Feature on Profile to make the document public - when you sign up for sessions, this will allow the employer to view your resume!
  • See Understanding Document Visibility for more information and instructions on how to quickly change document visibility.
• Video: How to Upload a Document

Check out Handshake's blog post for more tips on how to stand out in a virtual fair!

WATCH NOW: Handshake How-To: stand out at virtual fairs

All sessions will have the option for Handshake video, audio and text-based chat. There is no customization for types of interaction; it is up to the employer and student joining the session to determine how they would like to connect.

See details on day-of participation in Participating in a Virtual Fair.

As long as you're signed up for the session successfully, you'll be able to join up to 5 minutes prior to the session start and throughout the duration of the session.

We want you to feel as safe as possible while attending virtual fairs and interacting with employers, so we've taken several steps to ensure your safety. Read more about these steps in Reporting an Issue at a Virtual Fair.

WATCH NOW: Get hired: Handshake virtual career fairs

Once the fair has wrapped up, you can follow-up with employers in Handshake via:

• following their company profile (receive notifications of employer activity at your school)
• messaging other students or alumni that have worked for the employer or a publicly listed point of contact for the company
• responding to an employer message
• applying for an active job
• participating in an interview schedule
• attending an event

To quickly review who you attended sessions with, navigate back to the fair in Handshake with the direct link to the fair or browse using the filter "past fairs".

Click on the Your schedule tab for a list of your signed up sessions. The session host's name, job title, and company will display. Click the button Send a Message, to the right of the host's information, if you'd like to follow-up with them directly.