FAQ

Call 512.245.2645 or email hireabobcat@txstate.edu. The Employer Engagement team will review and respond to your request as quickly as possible.

The first step in getting started is to make sure you have an active user account in Handshake:

1. Do you already have an account in Handshake? Make sure to add Texas State University.
2. Are you new to the system? Sign up for Handshake and get started.
3. Use this how-to article to guide you while creating your account: Getting Started with Handshake for Employers 
4. Have other questions while using Handshake? Check out their Help Center for helpful tutorials, articles and much more.

Contact the Employer Relations and Outreach team at hireabobcat@txstate.edu to discuss and help develop a personalized Texas State recruiting strategy for your company.

Please Note: all new employer account requests are reviewed individually. Be sure to check Handshake)for updates to your request.

There are several ways to engage with Bobcats. To learn more please visit the Talent Engagement page. You may also contact our Employer Relations and Outreach team at hireabobcat@txstate.edu to discuss your Texas State recruiting strategy.

You and your organization must comply with all state and university mandated policies and procedures to recruit at Texas State University. Our office requires that you register in our online database, Handshake, to use our services. For the full list of policies and procedures, please see the Career Services Recruiting Guidelines page.

Additionally, all Third Party/Staffing Agencies must comply with the following policy: Third Party/Staffing Agency Statement of Understanding.

Career Services can provide strategic recommendations to target the students you would like to reach. To schedule a meeting to discuss your Texas State recruiting strategy, please contact the Employer Relations and Outreach team at hireabobcat@txstate.edu.

Career Services reviews each job posting in accordance with our Recruiting Policies and Procedures before it is published in Handshake. If you have any questions or concerns about your posting, please contact hireabobcat@txstate.edu.

We are sorry you are experiencing technical difficulties through Handshake, however, here are a few great ways to find solutions:

• If you have forgotten your password, you can select “forgot your password?” under the password text box.
• Create a Handshake Help Ticket if you can’t find the answer to your question in the Handshake Help Center. This will connect you with a customer service representative via email.
• Schedule a phone appointment with a Handshake customer service representative through the Handshake Call Support.

The Handshake Help Center is a great place to find tutorials and help documents about common account questions. We’re also happy to help you troubleshoot and can be reached at 512.245.2645 or hireabobcat@txstate.edu.

Our office hosts more than 20 career fairs each academic year, which cater to a variety of academic and professional sectors. Employers looking to fill internship, part-time, or full-time positions are invited to attend! A schedule of upcoming career fairs can be found on our website.

To register for a Career Fair, log on to Handshake and select [Fairs]. If you’re connected with more than one school, you can filter to view our fairs by typing “San Marcos, TX” in the [Location] box. Once you navigate to the Career Fair page, you can learn the detailed information about the fair. Click [Register] at the top of the page to send us your information.

Each registration is reviewed individually. Upon approval, an invoice will be emailed to the contact who registered in Handshake.

For all questions, please contact hireabobcat@txstate.edu.

Per our Cancellation and Refund Policy, all registration fees are non-refundable. Event cancellations will be accepted up to two weeks prior to the event. After two weeks, cancellations will incur a $50 administrative fee. Event no-show's will still be responsible for the registration balance that is due.

To cancel your registration, please email hireabobcat@txstate.edu with the following information:

• Contact First/Last Name:
• Company Name:
• Career Fair Name:
• Phone Number/Email:
• Reason for Request:

Career Services assists faculty and staff with a full array of services, including the opportunity to request presentations for classes or organizations. We also provide many resources on our web site on the Students and Alumni page and on the Resources page.

Career Services is unable to offer counseling support to faculty and staff seeking career exploration and advising services.

Career Services provides the following services to students and alumni:

• Individual career planning and exploration
• Online career assessments
• Connect students and alumni with companies and recruiters
• Help finding full-time and part-time jobs, work-study positions and internships
• Resume and cover letter critiques
• Practice for interviews
• Borrow an interview outfit
• Free headshot photos
• Graduate school application assistance
• Presentations and workshops for classes and student organizations
• And much more!

To learn more about our student and alumni offerings, browse our Students & Alumni page. Contact us by phone at 512.245.2645 or by e-mail at careerservices@txstate.edu to get started.

Please refer students to Career Services when they:

• Have difficulty deciding on a major
• Wonder about career options within a major
• Want to obtain practical experience in their field
• Need assistance with the job or internship search process
• Are looking for part-time employment
• Express other career-related concerns

Encourage your students to call our Welcome Desk at 512.245.2645 to schedule an appointment and browse our website to learn about services, access resources and more!

Yes! Career Services utilizes a liaison model to meet the needs of individual colleges and departments. Learn which liaison covers your college.

Absolutely! Career Services is happy to present on any topic of your choice, and can provide major- and college-specific information to students on exploring, finding, applying and securing internships. Request a presentation with our easy-to-use online form.

It's easy! Please contact your college liaison to schedule your tour.

Suggestions regarding writing letters of recommendation can be found on the Guidelines for Writing References page on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) website. NACE is one of several professional organizations of which Career Services is a member.

Career Services offers a host of services designed to help students explore and secure internships, including:

• Handshake, our online database, which includes over internship listings in various fields
• Career counseling and exploration, helping students to determine career path and internship focus
• Internship search strategies, key search resources, websites and networking advice (via college liaisons)
• Resume assistance and critiques
• Mock interviewing
• And more!

Career Services offers a number of options for resume building including: our free templates, a 48-hour resume critique, and more! Access resume resources on our Resume Resources page.

No! We encourage all students to attend job fairs to familiarize themselves with the job market, internship opportunities and career options. Please note: some job fairs are geared toward certain student groups and majors. Descriptions on our Events and Fairs page allow students to choose the events and fairs that are most appropriate for their career goals.

Absolutely! Our employer relations and outreach team has established relationships with employers across a variety of industries, and they would be happy to recommend and connect you with a relevant employer to speak to your class. Please contact our employer relations team at careerevents@txstate.edu or 512.245.2645.

As the internship coordinator for your department, you have a number of ethical responsibilities to fulfill. Career Services recommends following the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles when assisting students and employers with recruitment/placement opportunities. See NACE's Faculty Guide to Ethical and Legal Standards in Student Hiring. For further information, view NACE's Legal Issues page.

Yes. You can get more information on legal and ethical issues in the college recruiting arena on the National Association of Colleges and Employers website.

Learn about common issues with paid/unpaid internships on the Internships, Co-ops section of the National Association of Colleges and Employers' (NACE) Legal and Ethical Issues page.

To learn about federal guidelines regulating internships, read the United States Department of Labor's Fact Sheet: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Please refer the employers to our office, so that we can ensure they are following all ethical guidelines, policies, and procedures required of employer recruiters in order for them to be in good standing and continue engaging with our students. To assist you with messaging, we have composed an email that you can copy-paste for sending to employers:

***begin email message

Dear [Employer],

Thank you for your interest in hiring our students. We have some amazing talent here at Texas State and our main goal is to ensure that we provide equal access to all qualified students regarding your opportunity. To do that, we encourage you to post your job in Handshake. All students utilize Handshake to conduct their job/internship/co-op search, so this will help you reach a bigger audience and build a stronger brand recognition with our community.

By providing equal access, we are setting a standard of providing the best service to our students, and avoiding any potential of missing out on the best candidates. While posting your position, you are able to identify the criteria that best meets your needs, including: skills, GPA, etc.

We have a strong partnership with Texas State Career Services and have included them in this email so they can connect with you to help build your brand and recruiting plans here at Texas State. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Best,

[Your Email Signature]

***end message