Handshake Settings & Privacy

Your Settings & Privacy section is where you control what information is shared on your profile. Here you can update your privacy settings, work authorization status, and demographic information. Keeping this section updated ensures that your preferences are respected and that only the information you want employers and others to see is visible. Regularly reviewing these settings helps you stay in control of your Handshake experience.

From your home page, click your profile icon and select My Settings from the dropdown menu.

Here, students can update the following profile and demographic information for their profile:

  • Name
  • School Year
  • Mobile Phone
  • Hometown
  • Emails
  • Gender
  • Race and ethnicity

Handshake prevents employers from reaching out solely based on demographic information but employers may create searches that include it, along with other considerations such as skills and courses. Demographic information is only visible to you and won’t be shared on your profile.

Privacy

When your account is created, CPD automatically sets your profile to Private, which means it isn’t visible to employers or peers. You can choose to make your profile Public when you first log in, and you can update your privacy settings anytime in your Account Settings.

The Community option is all-encompassing and includes access to each possible interaction in Handshake. If you select this option, you will not be prompted to update your profile privacy for any action. With the Community option selected:

  • Your profile is visible to employers, students, and alumni across all Handshake institutions
  • You can message students and alumni with similar experience
  • You can receive messages about job opportunities from potential employers
  • You can make your profile public and share the link so others can discover it outside the platform

If you’d prefer not to be visible to other students/alumni, you may select the Employers privacy option. This enables employers approved at your school in Handshake to discover your profile and connect with you via messages or inviting you to apply.  With the Employers option selected: 

  • Your profile will be visible to employers
  • You can message students and alumni with similar experienceYou can receive messages about job opportunities from potential employers
  • You cannot message students and alumni with similar experience

With the Private option selected: 

  • Your profile will not be visible to the employers you apply for jobs to
  • You cannot receive messages about job opportunities from potential employers
  • You cannot message students and alumni with similar experience

Work Authorization

Emory does not import work authorization information into Handshake. Instead, students manage this themselves directly in their profile.

The work authorization information you provide helps Handshake determine whether you meet employer preferences for job postings and for 1:1 sessions at virtual career fairs.

  • Your answers only matter for matching if you leave the questions blank and a career services staff member submits an application on your behalf.
  • If you’ve already answered the work authorization questions yourself, employers will see your responses and you stay in control.

To make sure your applications reflect your preferences, complete the Work Authorization section in your profile.

Handshake work authorization information consists of 2 questions –– you must either answer both questions or opt out of sharing. After you’ve answered the questions once, you will not be prompted to answer again.

  • Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
  • Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship?

If you select “Prefer not to Answer”, then you will show up when an Employer filters for students who don’t require sponsorship or if they filter for students who do require sponsorship.
If they look at your work experience field they will see status listed as “Unknown.” Students who have yet to answer these questions will also be listed as “Unknown.
If you have DACA and don’t know how to answer, here is a resource, provided by Handshake, on how to answer these questions.

Note: If you haven’t provided this information via Settings, you’ll be prompted to select work authorization when you create your first job application, or if you haven’t applied for a job in Handshake yet, when you register for a virtual fair. 

Make sure to click the SAVE UPDATE to save your answers.