Did you know Handshake isn’t just for students? It’s also a powerful resource for your own growth as a career services professional, and one of its most valuable features for professional development is the Events section. These events—webinars, virtual info sessions, career fairs, and industry panels—are hosted by employers and campus partners, providing you with direct access to real-world insights and current recruitment practices.
Why Attend an Event?
These webinars, info sessions, industry panels, and more go far beyond the basics. They provide you with firsthand exposure to things like:
- Hiring practices: Learn what employers look for and how they make decisions.
- Workplace culture: Understand how organizations position themselves and what they value.
- Industry insights: Discover emerging fields and career pathways that you may be unfamiliar with.
- Student experience: See what students experience when attending these events to inform your career advising practice and help them prepare.
How This Helps You Grow as a Professional
Attending events isn’t just about supporting students—it’s about investing in your own knowledge and building your network. These sessions also expand your understanding of employers and industry shifts, helping you stay current in a rapidly evolving landscape. Attend an event to:
- Build confidence in industry language and trends
- Strengthen relationships with employers by showing genuine interest in their initiatives
- Gain insights that make you a more informed advisor, employer advocate, and campus partner
Professional development matters. These events aren’t just for students—they’re for you, too. Block time on your calendar, join a session, and treat it as an investment in your growth.
Ready to Start?
Step 1: If you don’t have a Handshake account, you will need to request one. If your only goal is to understand the student user interface, you can request a student test account. You can also
request an administrative account (which also includes a student test account) if your role includes responsibilities that require back-end access to Handshake. To learn more about account types, review the Information for Staff & Faculty section of the Handshake Getting Started KB document.
Step 2: Log-in to Handshake with your NetID. If applicable, switch your user view to the test student account view and select “Switch to Student’s Account”.
Step 3: Select the Events tab on the left hand navigation and explore! Utilize filters to find relevant events for your (or your student/alumni populations) interests. Register for the event and make note on your calendar of the details (in-person, virtual, etc.). For virtual events in Handshake, the registration link changes to “Join Video” five minutes before the event starts. New events are posted throughout the year with peak times typically from January to March and September to November!
A Few Upcoming Events
- LSAT 101 Hosted by the Center for Pre-Law Advising (Feb 3)
- Navigate Financial Services Recruiting as a First-Year Student with SMBC (Feb 5)
- Beyond the Brand with Target (Feb 10)
- Explore Deloitte: Kickstart Your Job Search (Feb 10)
- Beyond the Greeting: Making Every Word Count with McKenney’s (Feb 18)
- Epic Virtual Info Session & Tech Talk: Focus on Ethical Machine Learning (Feb 25)
Attending events posted in Handshake allows you to continue learning emerging trends and promote opportunities to the students you support. These sessions can help you stay current with what employers are prioritizing, which strengthens the guidance you provide, and can give you a clearer sense of the skills and experiences students need to succeed.
Beyond that, your engagement supports your own professional growth, helping you expand your expertise and stay connected to the ever-evolving world of career services work.