All information below is about having a Handshake student / alumni account.
If you wish to have a Handshake employer account, see information for employers.
To have a Handshake student / alumni account:
You must have a VT PID email address and password.
- If you need help with this, see:
Help for alumni regarding your VT PID and password. - For a student / alumni account, you cannot use an alias email address.
- For a student / alumni account, you cannot use a gmail address.
If you graduated in 2015-2016, or 2016-2017:
You HAVE a student / alumni account. You may ask that it be REACTIVATED.
- Go to VT Handshake login and enter your VT PID and password.
- You'll see the same login screen as current students, shown in opening your student account.
- Follow instructions to ask that your account be reactivated.
If you graduated 2014-2015 or prior,
OR you are a current faculty/staff member at VT who has not graduated from VT:
You may REQUEST a student / alumni account.
- Go to VT join Handshake and click "Sign up for an Account."
[In red oval on the screen capture below.] Do NOT click on "Virginia Tech login."- From there, follow instructions.
- When prompted for your email address, you must use your VT PID email address, as in PID@vt.edu.
- If you do not use your correct PID email address, you will not be able to log in to Handshake.
- Your request will be reviewed within approximately two business days.
- If you have followed instructions, but are not able to access your Handshake account, call us during office hours, usually M-F 8am-5pm.
