Handshake: A Guide for Faculty & Staff

A Faculty & Staff Guide to Handshake at TSU

How to Use Handshake to Support Student Career Success

What is Handshake?

Handshake is TSU’s official career development platform, available free to all current students and alumni at tsu.joinhandshake.com. It connects TSU Tigers with recruiters, internships, jobs, career events, and one-on-one appointments with career advisors. As a faculty or staff member, you play a critical role in encouraging students to engage with Handshake early and often — research shows that students who use their institution’s career platform are significantly more likely to be employed after graduation.

Why Faculty & Staff Matter on Handshake

Cross-campus usage of Handshake leads to increased student engagement. Many schools include faculty and staff in their communication outreach because it helps associate the career center’s brand and impact with individual departments and programs. Simply put — when a trusted professor or advisor tells a student to use Handshake, they listen.

Handshake is a beneficial tool for faculty and staff to gain an understanding of businesses excited to hire new graduates, connect with resources available on campus through the Career Pathways Center, and network with businesses locally and across the country looking to hire students in their specialized field.

How to Get Started on Handshake as Faculty or Staff

Step 1: Create your account Go to tsu.joinhandshake.com and sign up using your TSU email address. There is no specific “faculty” account type — faculty have access to any roles assigned to them, which can include managing experiences, managing students, viewing posted jobs, and creating appointments with students.

Step 2: Explore the platform as a student would Creating a test student account is the best way to experience firsthand what students see — browse job postings, explore upcoming events, and review the resources available so you can speak knowledgeably when advising students.

Step 3: Connect with the Career Pathways Center Reach out to the CPC team to discuss how you can partner on programming, classroom visits, and student referrals. Contact them at placementservices@tsu.edu or (713) 313-7541.

4 Ways Faculty & Staff Can Use Handshake to Support Students

1. Refer Students to Create Their Handshake Profile

Encourage every student — especially freshmen and sophomores — to create their Handshake account at tsu.joinhandshake.com as early as possible. Direct them to:

  • Upload a resume and professional headshot
  • Set their career interests, job type preferences, and location preferences
  • Turn on job alerts for relevant opportunities
  • Make their profile visible to employers

The earlier students build their profile, the more personalized their job and employer recommendations become.

2. Share Job & Internship Opportunities with Students

Handshake provides a platform that connects talent and recruiters through career-related events such as career fairs, workshops, and employer sessions, which assist students in building their career readiness skills and network connections.

When you come across a relevant job, internship, or employer in your industry network, share it with your students and encourage them to search for it on Handshake. You can also:

  • Post on-campus student employment opportunities for your department directly on Handshake
  • Share the link to TSU’s job board at tsu.joinhandshake.com/jobs in your syllabus or course announcements

3. Promote Career Fairs & Employer Events

In preparation for career events, particularly career fairs, students can access a list of employers who will be attending. Students are encouraged to research employers in preparation for these events.

You can help by:

  • Announcing upcoming TSU career fairs in class (check cpc.tsu.edu/events for dates)
  • Encouraging students to RSVP to employer information sessions and workshops on Handshake
  • Requiring students to attend a career fair or employer event as part of a course assignment — a practice that significantly increases engagement

4. Encourage Students to Schedule Appointments with Career Advisors

Within the Career Center page, students can schedule one-on-one appointments with career coaches. When scheduling appointments, students will select the type of appointment and the days and times available, choosing from appointment types such as Major/Career Exploration and Job Search support.

Direct students to book an appointment through Handshake at app.joinhandshake.com/edu/appointments/new for help with:

  • Resume and cover letter reviews
  • Interview preparation and mock interviews
  • Job and internship search strategy
  • Major and career exploration
  • Graduate school planning