Frequently Asked Questions

To create an employer account, visit Handshake and select "Sign-up" for an account. You will then be guided through the registration process (select “Employer” when prompted for the type of account you are creating).

More tips on creating an employer account can be found on Handshake’s Support Page. You can also participate in employer training sessions provided by Handshake.

All recruiters must:

1. Have an organizational domain email account (not Gmail, Yahoo, etc.).
2. Provide an active website that matches the domain of your organization.
3. Provide your full name with contact information, name of company, physical address and phone number.
4. Provide detailed information in the job description (task/duties, requirements, and responsibilities) or provide a link to the open position.

1. From the home screen, once logged into Handshake, click the blue “Post a job” button.
2. Click on the tab at the top right that says “Jobs.”
3. Click the word “Expired” on the top left.
4. Click on the job you’d like to repost and either push the blue “Edit Job” button to use the same posting or the blue “Duplicate Job” button to copy and start as a new posting.
5. Review and update the posting that populated in the form. Check the graduation date range (if applicable).

There are many ways to get the most of your posting.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Your job description is the main hook for students. Including specific skills, responsibilities, minimum and preferred qualifications, and personal or professional growth opportunities in your description will essentially attract more students to apply.
2. Handshake will not allow you to include a salary range in the “approximate salary” section of the job posting form, but we do suggest that you include something in that space. If it is a range depending on experience, choose to put the lowest amount, and then include the range within the job description. If it is salary plus commission, put the minimum salary plus commission in the job description.
3. While Handshake allows any student to apply for any job, students can see when they don’t meet your preferred major qualifications, and that may deter some otherwise competitive candidates from applying. Expanding those qualifications may provide you with a greater pool of candidates and improve your overall recruiting experience with Handshake. KSU has more than 150 majors. Use larger major groups rather than selecting specific majors to attract more students to your job postings in Handshake.
4. Make sure your employer profile is complete with website and social media links so candidates are able to research your organization.
5. Employers have the opportunity to contact up to 100 students directly per recruiting season. Making first contact through Handshake is a great way to start a conversation with qualified potential candidates.

Did you know if you encourage your student applicants to favorite you as an employer, they can see when you’re coming to campus, posting new jobs, or attending or hosting events?

Yes, the Sentinel (KSU’s online and paper newspaper) offers free advertising. 

Per KSU guidelines, flyers from outside employers are not to be posted on the campus premises. Please see the KSU University Posting and Announcement Policy for details below. You can download a copy of the policy by following the link in the “Right of Refusal” policy listed below.

* Right of Refusal - Any company or organization seeking to recruit at KSU must register for a Handshake account through The Department of Career Planning & Development (CPD). If a representative of an organization fails to comply with CPD's  policies, University Posting and Announcement Policy, or NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice; access to some or all CPD services may be declined or revoked. Final approval to use KSU facilities and services for the purposes of recruitment rests with the Leadership of CPD.

* NO SOLICITATION POLICY – CPD does not give permission to any organization, or individual, to distribute materials of any kind throughout campus, for the purposes of recruitment. All promotional materials related to approved and scheduled recruiting event will be distributed directly through CPD to interested and qualified students. Promotional materials for a confirmed recruiting event must be submitted to our office at least 7 business days before the event.

Post your current position within Handshake or plan to add it immediately after requesting a date at least 3 weeks before your requested interview date. From the home screen within Handshake, click the blue “Request an Interview” button. Complete the form. When selecting a date for your interviews, please always include an alternate date on the date request page of the form. If you do not see the “Request an Interview” button on your profile, please contact a member of our Employer Relations Team at 470-578-2724.

When choosing a campus, use the below information as a guide based on the students you expect to interview. 

Marietta Campus: College of Architecture and Construction Management, College of Computing and Software Engineering, Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering & Engineering Technology

Kennesaw Campus: Bagwell College of Education, Coles College of Business, Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, College of the Arts, University College, WellStar College of Health and Human Services

1. Select the "Create an Event" option from your Handshake dashboard. If you do not have this option, please contact a member of our Employer Relations Team at 470-578-2724.
2. Select Kennesaw State University as the host, then select Career Center (Marietta or Kennesaw Campus), and the Type of Event as "Info Session" and then Name it "Information Table (Company Name)". Complete all required fields.
3. Provide your Job Title and Job ID within the description area, and include that you would like to meet interested candidates.
4. Include a couple alternate dates at the bottom section of the description area, as we may not be able to accommodate your first selected date and/or time.
5. Contact a member of our Employer Relations Team at 470-578-2724 if you should need further assistance.

You must have a trust score of 80 or above in order to download resumes and message students directly in Handshake. See the end of this FAQ for info on increasing the trust score. Third Party Recruiters or Staffing Agencies will not have the ability to download resumes on Handshake. See below for instructions to download A Resume Book.

1.    First, search for students by certain specifications by clicking on the “Students” tab on the left side of the navigation bar and using the options form to filter

2.    After generating the list of students based on your search criteria, check the box for all students you are interested in, and then click the “Download Resumes” button at the top. Note that if you click the box at the top of the page, it will only select the 25 students that are shown on that page. You must click “Select all ####” to select all students that meet your criteria if you want all of them to download.

If you would like to increase your trust score in Handshake, read this article on tips to do so: https://joinhandshake.com/blog/career-centers/reimagining-employer-trust-score/

1. Log in to your Handshake account.
2. Click Profile at the top of the black sidebar on the left side of the page.
3. On your profile page, click on the Account tab at the upper right-hand side.
4. Select the option for Notification Preferences.
5. Modify your notification preferences.

For more help, please visit the Handshake Support Page.  Or, you can participate in an employer training session by visiting https://joinhandshake.com/employers/resources/ and https://training.joinhandshake.com/page/pathfinders. 

View the list of upcoming fairs, and then click on “Job Fair Fees & Registration Details” under the desired fair. Click the Handshake hyperlink to login to your Handshake account. A step by step guide for registering can be found on Handshake’s Support Page.

The larger Job & Internship Fairs (STEM and All Majors) have between 800-1,500 students who attend. The smaller Job & Internship Fairs (Accounting, Education, & other smaller segments) have between 100-500. Visit our Data Archive to dive into Job & Internship Fair Attendance!

Employers can download resumes via Handshake for all students who have uploaded a resume and interacted with the company via applying to a job/interview schedule, RSVP'd for an employer hosted event, or signed up for a session with the employer at a virtual fair. Learn more here. 

Resume books are included in some of our partnerships & sponsorships.

To stay up-to-date with our department, please visit these locations frequently:

1. Visit careers.kennesaw.edu: You will find a calendar with "Upcoming Events" listed on our homepage.
2. A list of important dates to know can be found on our Employer Events page.
3. Favorite Kennesaw State University in Handshake to receive updates on upcoming events for future semesters.

A. It depends on how much relevant information you can provide in a clear and concise manner.

The general rule is: 

One page for recent college or post-college graduates.
Two pages for 10+ years of professional experience in the field.
Three pages for experienced professionals submitting a federal resume or curriculum vitae (CV). A CV is a special resume format most commonly used for academic, fine arts, medical, and legal job searches.

 No. The inclusion of an objective statement is optional. 

The general rule is:

If one is included, it should articulate the skills, abilities, and experiences you have that match the requirements needed for the position. It should not focus on the needs of the candidate, but those of the employer.

No. A separate document is created to list references.

The general rule is:

Three references are usually enough.
References should include individuals who are familiar with your academic and/or work performance.
Personal references (family and friends) are only used when specifically requested.
Reference information should include: name, title, place of employment, mailing address, email address, and phone number.

A. No. The use of extremely large and/or flashy fonts is not recommended.

The general rule is:

Use one or two font sizes across the entire resume. A larger font size can be used for section headings. Standard font styles, such as Calibri (11), Arial (11), or Times New Roman (12) are recommended.

No. Most of the time.

The general rule is:

The use of personal pronouns (I, me, my, our, you, their, she, he) should be avoided.
The use of I, me or my could be used in an objective statement.
What is the best resume template to use?
Resume templates are NOT recommended. Employers can immediately tell a resume template was used, and are usually not impressed.

The general rule is:

It is best to create a resume from scratch using a blank Microsoft Word document.
Focus on style and format after you have written the content.

Usually not.

The general rule is:

Freshman level college students who have limited work experience may list outstanding achievements to demonstrate potential. This information should be removed once relevant skills have been gained through collegiate/work experiences.

There are different points of view on this issue, so it becomes a personal choice.

Some general thoughts:

Due to the increase of identity theft, it is acceptable to only list an email address and phone number. Others contend this information is readily available to the general public, so listing an address does not increase your risk.

Including a GPA is optional.

The general rule is:

Recent graduates should include a GPA of 3.0 or higher. If the overall GPA is not a 3.0 or higher, listing the major GPA if it is higher is an option. You must clearly distinguish whether you are reporting an overall or major GPA. It is important to be accurate because you may be asked to verify this information. GPAs are should not be rounded up. Job seekers who have related work experience and have been out of school for 3+ years do not need to include GPA.

Yes. Recent graduates who have completed relevant coursework or projects.

The general rule is:

Relevant courses and projects should be listed on the resume as a way to demonstrate academic and applied knowledge of the subject. Descriptions should highlight teamwork, writing skills, analytical abilities, etc. the employer is seeking. 

Yes. Employers are interested in knowing what non-acadmic experiences you have on and off campus.

The general rule is:

Include activities that will highlight leadership potential, interests, and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities.