Handshake
Updated May 1, 2025
Handshake is USC’s university-wide career services management platform and the largest career community for college students.
If you have any questions, please email us at careers@usc.edu.
Handshake Activation Directions
If you have followed the directions below relevant to you, and are still having issues accessing your Handshake account, please complete this form.
DO NOT request a student Handshake account through the platform.
Incoming students will be granted access to Handshake 24-72 hours after registering for classes.
- Activate Handshake using SSO with your USC Net ID and Password
- Note: Incoming students obtain access to Handshake once the Registrar indicates you are enrolled in classes.
- Fall admits: normally occurs mid-July thru early August
- Spring admits: normally occurs mid-December thru early January
- Handshake FAQs for Students
Handshake, the largest career community for college students. Employers are recruiting students like you on Handshake.
- Receive job and internship recommendations based on your interests
- Connect with employers in every industry
- Get an inside look at internships from other students
- Check into campus events and career fairs from your phone
- Learn from students and alumni who landed jobs you want
Activate Your Handshake Account
- DO NOT request a student Handshake account through the platform.
- All current students already have a Handshake profile with their basic information.
- Activate Handshake using SSO with your USC Net ID and Password
- Note: Incoming students obtain access to Handshake once the Registrar indicates you are enrolled in classes.
- Fall admits: normally occurs mid-July thru early August
- Spring admits: normally occurs mid-December thru early January
- Handshake FAQs for Students
Handshake is USC’s university-wide Career Management Platform. Sign up for an employer account today! Detailed instructions for the Employer registration process can be found here.
What does Handshake offer employers?
- Build your brand with Gen Z
- Find the right talent
- Efficiently scale your organization’s recruiting
- Events and sourcing, together
- Quickly convert qualified applicants in your funnel
- Seamlessly integrate with existing tools such as Workday, Greenhouse, and more
How To Set Up a Company Profile/Request Access to Account:
View Detailed Instruction here.
- Click here to create your new employer contact account.
- Click “Sign Up here” in the top right corner of the page.
- Under the blue “Continue” button, click “register here” for “Are you an employer?”
- Enter your usc.edu email, not your school-based email address (e.g. marshall.usc.edu, @dornsife.usc.edu, etc.), and create your password.
- Enter your profile information:
- Name, Phone, Title, Country, Recruitment Interest
- Click “save and continue”
- An “Employer guidelines” window will pop up
- Click the blue “no” button asking if you are a third-party recruiter
- Check both boxes for term agreements
- Click “Save & Continue”
- You will be sent an email to verify. In that email, click the provided link. You will be redirected to Handshake.
- Once redirected, you will have the option to join an existing employer profile.
- If your department/office has an existing employer profile, click “request” and then “finish” at the top right to join. Await approval from your office’s employer profile manager. If you do not know who this is, please contact recruit@usc.edu.
- If you cannot find an existing employer profile for your department/office, click “create a new company.”
- For new company creation:
- When creating the company name, follow the USC naming convention—USC School and Department Name. For example, USC Dornsife-Economics Department.
- After entering the required information and clicking “Create New Company,” you will be subject to Handshake’s validation process and must await approval.
Once the account has been created, request to connect with USC to recruit students and register for our event
Please select the appropriate dropdown menu below for specific instructions for your graduation year. Read instructions carefully before proceeding to ensure the most efficient alumni account request process.
To request a USC Alumni Handshake Account, use the link below. If approved, you will receive an email from Handshake to reset your password.
If you are a member of the Class of 2025 and still have access to SSO, please read and follow the instructions below carefully.
Current USC students access the Handshake platform using SSO authentication. Graduating students may lose access to SSO in as little as 3 months following their official graduation date. Please follow these steps to avoid losing access to Handshake, USC’s premier job and career services platform.
- All current students can turn their accounts into alumni accounts without having to sign up again.
As part of the transition, it’s crucial to update your primary email address on your account to a non-usc.edu email. This is because alumni eventually lose access to SSO and need to log into their student accounts. Ensuring this step is done will help you stay connected to the Handshake platform.
Step-by-step instructions for Students can be found here: https://support.joinhandshake.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409142959511-Update-Your-Primary-Email-Address-in-Handshake - Graduating students will also need to create a manual password to log into their Handshake account in order to sign in without SSO. This needs to be done before they lose SSO login access.
Step-by-step instructions for Students can be found here: https://support.joinhandshake.com/hc/en-us/articles/226794227-Log-In-as-an-Alum-Set-your-Handshake-Password
If you have lost access to SSO and cannot access your Handshake account using SSO please complete this form. Do not request an alumni account through Handshake.
To request a USC Alumni Handshake Account, use the link below. Follow Handshake’s alumni request process. You must use your USC Alumni or personal email address. Do not use your student email address.
FAQs & Tips for Navigating Handshake
Check out the overview Completing Your Profile in Handshake & our quick tips below:
- You can select My Profile at any time to add or edit profile information or documents.
- Select Career Interests to specify your goals based on geographic location, career goals and industry & job preferences. Complete this section to receive more relevant opportunities and personalized recommendations!
- You can also generate a public profile link that can act like a digital resume online or add it to your email signature. Read more about sharing your public profile.
Remember: The more you include in your profile and career interests, the better Handshake can populate your newsfeed with opportunities that matter to you. Keep it relevant and keep it updated!
- The Documents tab will allow you to add resumes, cover letters and other application materials as well as build your profile directly from your uploaded resume.
- Tip: Making your resume public will allow employers you check in with at Career Fairs to download your documents after each event.
Notification Preferences allow you to determine how you want Handshake to communicate important information to you – via push notifications, general notifications and/or email.
Special Note: Making your profile and a resume visible to “Community” will allow employers to search for and contact you based on your interests and additional profile information.
Privacy: Upon initial login, you have the option to share your profile information with employers by selecting or de-selecting the checkbox under the “Yes, I want employers to be able to find and view my profile” area. As a note, Handshake will default to a fully private profile unless you select otherwise.
- You can change this setting at any time by visiting your Settings & Privacy. Choose the Account tab and find the checkbox to change your preference (Community, Employers or Private).
- Download the Handshake app to check-in at employer tables during the Career Fair using a QR Code (Learn more here). Tip: Set your profile visibility to public which allows you to automatically send your resume and profile to recruiters when you check-in.
- Learn more about Discovering Events & Fairs
