Connecting with Employers

Employers are eager to meet UW students! Explore various ways to connect with employers:

HANDSHAKE

Thousands of jobs and internships are posted monthly – local, national, and even international. Handshake also provides the opportunity to message recruiters, follow employers, network with UW alumni, and register for events and fairs. Here are some tips to accelerate your job search by connecting with employers in Handshake.

• Complete your Handshake Profile
  • A robust Handshake profile can be as helpful as a detailed resume or LinkedIn page. Employers are searching for students on Handshake based on the information in their profiles, and messaging candidates with event invites or to encourage them to apply for new job opportunities.
  • Update your “Looking For” section to let employers know what types of roles and locations you’re interested in.
  • Update your “Career Interests” section for better job recommendations and to alert employers about your industry and job role interests.

• Review your Handshake account’s Privacy Settings
  • If your Handshake account is set to “Private,” your profile is not visible to employers and you may miss out on opportunities. With your settings updated to “Employers” or “Community,” your profile will be visible to employers approved by UW and may show up as employers search Handshake for potential hires and to message students with opportunities.

• Follow Employers and Recruiters
  • Search for and follow employers you’re interested in. You will receive notifications when that employer posts new positions, hosts an event, and attends a career fair.
  • Follow specific recruiters to receive notifications about their activity in Handshake.

• Exchange Messages with Employers
  • Messaging employers provides a direct way to build relationships with employers. It shows initiative and can help you gain more details about a job you’re interested in, learn more about the company, prepare for interviews, and ask questions you may have.
  • When exchanging messages with employers, it may also be possible to schedule time for a 15-minute virtual info chat.
  • You may also receive messages from employers directly.

• Attend Employer Virtual Events
  • Employers host virtual information sessions via Handshake! Search for these opportunities via the Events tab.

• Network with Alumni and Peers
  • Search for and message fellow students and alumni on the platform. Connecting with alumni who are working at your favorite companies can help you learn more about what’s like to work there as a UW alum.

CAREER FAIRS

Whether 25 employers or 100, in-person or virtual, career fairs are a great way to create connections and get face-time with recruiters. Hosted October-June, career fairs (also termed job & internship fairs) can be a great addition to your search strategy.

• Review Resources prepared by the Career & Internship Center
  • Career Fairs Overview and Resources
  • What to Expect at an In-Person Career Fair
  • What To Expect at a Virtual Career Fair
  • Career Fair Calendar

• Search for Upcoming Fairs
  • In Handshake, use the Events tab to search for upcoming career fairs at UW and register in advance (in-person fairs and virtual fairs).
  • For virtual fairs, you’ll need to sign up for sessions with employers in order to participate in the fair!

• Review List of Attending Employers
  • To prepare for the fair, review the list of employers attending the event.
  • Research the organizations you’re most interested in and create a game plan for fair day – what booths do you most want to visit?

• Review Open Positions for Attending Employers
  • Check out the comprehensive list of all open positions for employers attending the fair through the specific collection created in Handshake.

• Check In with Employers
  • Checking in at each employer booth via the QR code allows the employer to track attendance and provides the opportunity for connection after the (in-person) fair.

• Follow Up After the Fair
  • If you checked in to employer booths, you can access the list of employers you connected with.
  • Consider sending messages to the people you talked with to continue the conversation and keep you top of mind for their open positions. You may also receive messages from employers directly.
  • If you discussed a specific opportunity with an employer and you’re ready to apply, submit that application!

ALUMNI

Find UW alumni who may be open to informational interviews, answering questions, and sharing advice about the job search and working for their organization.

• LinkedIn
  • Search for and connect with UW alumni using keywords and filters on LinkedIn.

• Husky Landing
  • Connect with UW alumni on UW’s professional networking platform, Husky Landing.

Questions? Reach out to us!

Handshake – handshake@uw.edu
Career Fairs – cicevents@uw.edu
General Questions – askcic@uw.edu