Handshake FAQs for Employers

If you are already posting positions in Handshake with UC, no additional action is required from you. We recommend reviewing our Quick Start Guide to be sure you are optimizing your positions for UC students.

UC is transitioning to Handshake to enhance the efficiency and user experience for both employers and students. Handshake is a robust, nationally recognized platform that centralizes job postings, events, communications, and interviews. This transition allows for streamlined management of UC co-op and full-time hiring and fosters long-term connections with students through access to profiles and increased opportunities to showcase your organization. Handshake is used by over 1,400 colleges and universities and hundreds of thousands of employers.

Yes, you will need to create a Handshake account to post new jobs. Start by registering with Handshake. For detailed instructions on creating an account, refer to the UC Handshake Quick Start Guide.

Your organization may already have a Handshake account with a "Main Employer Contact" pre-defined. Consult your HR department to ensure they can approve you as a new contact. Additional resources are available on our UC Handshake Transition page, where you can also register for monthly Handshake Onboarding sessions with our Partnership Development team.

Yes, you will need to repost jobs in Handshake during each hiring cycle. Reminders will be shared in UC’s monthly employer newsletter. It is strongly recommended that you post a new position each semester to streamline applications and tracking. Many co-op students are only available to work during specific semesters, so it is very important that the name of the semester is in the position name and the proper date range is selected (Ex. Summer 2025 Industrial Design Co-op). Detailed posting instructions can be found in the UC Handshake Quickstart Guide.

Post jobs as early as possible to ensure they are visible to the right candidates well before your hiring deadlines.

When posting jobs and recruiting, please note that the University of Cincinnati is on a semester system. For mandatory co-op in the Colleges of DAAP (Art and Design), CEAS (Engineering), and CECH (IT)*, UC recommends the following timelines for posting positions in Handshake:

Recommended timelines for posting jobs in Handshake
Co-op Term  Co-op Term Dates Ideal timing for largest applicant pool: Expect all applicants to apply by:
FALL Late August – Mid December Open by April 1 Close by Sept 1 Mid-June
SPRING Early January – Late April Open by August 1 Close by January 1 Early October
SUMMER Early May – Mid August Open by Dec 1 Close by May 1 Mid-February

*Please note that students outside of these colleges (e.g. College of Arts & Sciences, Lindner College of Business) have more flexibility in the timing of their co-op experiences

No, student referral packets will not be sent out. Student profiles, résumés, and portfolios will now be housed within Handshake. Students will apply directly to your position, allowing you to view their applications at any time. Our instructors will continue to provide students with deadlines and meet with students to discuss their experiential learning goals and plans. Our instructors are still here to answer your questions, as well. You can expect to receive emails prompting you to post your Handshake positions and to log into Handshake to review applicants. Additional communications to employers may vary by team.

Support for PAL will be phased out as we transition fully to Handshake.

Spring semester (Begins January 13, 2025):

  • New and existing employers should post all new positions, including summer 2025 co-ops, in Handshake.
  • Employers may still receive applicants for existing positions via PAL through the Summer 2025 semester.
  • Students may search for co-ops in both PAL and Handshake.

Summer semester (Begins May 12, 2025):

  • New and existing employers should post all new positions, including fall 2025 co-ops, in Handshake.
  • Last set of Round 1 referrals sent through PAL will happen in June 2025.

Fall semester (Begins August 25, 2025):

  • PAL will be sunset on August 22, 2025, and all co-op position searches will take place fully in Handshake.

PAL will be fully retired on Friday, August 22, 2025. Complete Employer Reports for Summer co-op students in PAL through this date.

We encourage employers to create an account in Handshake and begin posting jobs right away. If you have existing positions posted in PAL, you may receive applicant referrals for those positions through PAL in the Spring and Summer semesters, but no NEW positions should be posted in PAL as of January 13, 2025.

Handshake works best with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Handshake offers a mobile app for students on both iOS and Android devices. However, there is currently no app available for employers.

If you need assistance with Handshake, here are several resources: