On-Campus Recruiting Program Guide for Employers

For more information on how to participate in the On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) Program, follow these instructions:

GETTING STARTED

Handshake is USC’s university-wide career management platform. New to Handshake? Sign up for an employer account! Detailed instructions for the Employer registration process can be found here.

  • Once your Handshake account is completed and approved, you can submit an interview schedule to conduct virtual or in-person interviews.
  • Click on “Request an Interview”

How to Request an Interview on Handshake

Please note: Before requesting an interview schedule, we highly suggest creating the job position that will be attached ahead of time.

  1. Log into Handshake.
  2. On the homepage, click the blue button Request an Interview.
    1. Alternatively, from the left navigation bar, click on Interviews → Request Interview Schedule.
  3. On the Basics tab, complete the following fields:
    1. What institution would you like to interview?
      1. Enter: University of Southern California
    2. Who from your company will be attending this interview?
      1. Add teammates from your company who will be conducting the interviews.
        1. To add teammates that do not have a Handshake account, click on the hyperlinked text Click Here to create a contact. For steps, refer to How to Create an External contact.
    3. Interview Schedule Name
      1. The interview’s name will include the job titles, dates, and your company name. 
    4. Interview Schedule Description 
      1. Include additional information about the schedule or your company that you want to share with students and the USC Career Center.
  4. Click the blue button Next to proceed. Select the date you would like to interview applicants. 
  5. In the pop-up window, complete the following fields:
    1. Date
    2. Alternate date
    3. Requested room count
    4. Details
  6. Click the blue button Add Date in the lower-right corner.
  7. Next, choose your preferred timeline, which are predefined timelines at the USC Career Center. Timelines determine how students sign up for interview slots.
  8. Select your interview time slot template, which are predefined templates at the USC Career Center. Templates are used for building out your schedule slots.
  9. Click the blue button Next.
  10. Select a job(s) to attach to the interview schedule.
  11. Click on the Review tab to edit any details → Click the green button Request.

Please review How to Request an Interview Schedule at a School for additional details.

OCR MODELS

Handshake gives you an opportunity to select a specific recruiting model tailored to your organization’s needs:

Preselect to Alternate: If you are looking for assistance with the recruiting process and would like Handshake to manage the interview schedule for you, this is the preferred model. You choose the interview date, add the job descriptions, collect resumes, review and select the candidates, and the system will schedule these interviews for you. You can use video platform systems, such as Zoom or Skype, to conduct your virtual interviews or use our interview rooms for in-person recruiting.

  • Invite Candidates: The Preselect to Alternate model allows the system to manage the interview schedules for you. It is important to keep in mind that the OCR schedule is time-sensitive. Once the resume submission deadline passes, you will gain access to reviewing the submitted resumes and selecting the candidates you would like to interview. It is important that you make your candidate selections by the “Employer Select End Date.” Once students have signed up for the time slots, you can connect with the Employer Engagement team to assist you in filling any potential gaps. It is also important to select “Alternate Candidates” to provide other interested students the opportunity to sign up for any remaining slots.

Resume Collect: If you are looking to test the interest of the candidate pool and are not ready to commit to an interview date, this option will allow you to collect resumes in the system. If you decide afterwards you would like to use Handshake to schedule these interviews, we can easily convert this model to a “Preselect to Alternate” schedule. You can also connect with the candidates directly to set up an interview date and time outside our office that works best for the candidate and the recruiting team.

Room Reservation Only: If you would like to reserve an interview room at the Career Center, and have the ability to build and manage the interview schedule yourself outside of Handshake, this will be the best option. You do not have to attach a job description to this model. We recommend you email a copy of your final schedule at least one business day prior to your interview date. You can only interview USC students and alumni in our interview space.

* Third-party recruiters may participate if recruiting for your own organization and not on behalf of other employers.

** If your organization is recruiting for both technical and non-technical roles, you are encouraged to participate in the Career Center’s OCR Program; technical and non-technical students recruit through our office.

INFORMATION FOR NEW EMPLOYERS

As an employer that is new to the OCR Program at USC, it is important to give yourself adequate time to successfully prepare for the interviews:

  • Begin planning at least four to six weeks prior to the date you plan to conduct the interviews on campus.
  • During those weeks, take the following actions:
    • Select the preferred OCR model and submit a request through Handshake
    • Post opportunities through the OCR section
    • Accumulate resumes online and review the applications
    • Select candidates you would like to interview
    • Provide candidates an opportunity to select interview slots

If you have any questions prior to submitting a request in Handshake, you can connect with the Employer Engagement team to help guide you through this process.