Welcome to the WVU Student Employment Supervisor Resources!
Whether you’re hiring your first student employee or filling multiple positions, we’re here to help you navigate the process. As part of the WVU Student Employment Program, supervisors are required to post all student employment opportunities in Handshake. Graduate Assistantship positions are encouraged to be posted but are not required.
Student employment is more than just filling a position—it is an opportunity to mentor and develop career-ready students. Through meaningful on-campus employment, supervisors help students build transferable skills, gain professional experience, strengthen their confidence, and connect classroom learning to the workplace while earning income to support their education.
Explore the resources below for step-by-step guidance on posting a position, reviewing applications, hiring student employees, and supporting their success throughout their WVU employment experience.
Handshake is WVU’s career management platform for students and alumni where available on and off campus positions are posted.
Note: You do not need to request access to Handshake or attempt to log into the system. Supervisors are added as contacts rather than users, so you’ll receive student applications directly by email. When you receive an application, click on the “PDF of today’s applicant packages” and go to your recently downloaded documents to access the documents (resume and work availability).
Supervisors do not need to request access to Handshake or attempt to log into the system.
The Career Center and the WVU Hub post positions to Handshake so you don’t have to. Instead, we ask that you complete the Student Employment Job Posting Request Form. Most student employment positions should be posted as Federal Work-Study positions with the option to also post as regular student employment and accept applications from both pools of students. Your job is posted with two business days upon receiving the job posting request.
Supervisors are added as contacts rather than users, so you’ll receive student applications directly by email. When you receive an application, click on the “PDF of today’s applicant packages” and go to your recently downloaded documents to access the documents (resume and work availability).
Supervisors do not need to request access to Handshake or attempt to log into the system. Instead, supervisors are added as contacts on the job posting rather than as Handshake users. This allows you to receive student applications directly by email. When you receive an application, click on the “PDF of today’s applicant packages” and go to your recently downloaded documents to access the documents (resume and work availability).
If you would like a summary of applications at any time while your position is accepting applications, email studentemployment@mail.wvu.edu, and we will be happy to provide one.
When you are ready to close your position, please complete the Handshake Position Expiration Form to request that the job posting be removed.
Once you’ve identified who you want to hire (after interviews), you will need to complete the following steps to hire a student employee.
1. Complete the short WVU Supervisor Assessment. This assessment is required for FWS Supervisors only. You should receive a onetime passing score of 80%.
ATTENTION: Hiring a Graduate Assistant (GA)
To ensure institutional compliance, reduce risk, and strengthen our hiring practices, we are updating our procedure effective May 4, 2026. Moving forward, a completed and cleared background check will be required before a Graduate Assistant may begin the onboarding process. This will include a background check approval step within the Shared Services Center via submission of the Student and Other NBE New Hire Form before payroll processing instructions are issued to the new hire.
2. Submit a Student and Other NBE New Hire Form which goes to Career Services for approval and then passed onto Shared Services for processing. On each page of the form, scroll down to click Next. To hire a Federal Work Study student, complete the Federal Work Study New Hire Form. For more information on employee processing, go to https://sharedservices.wvu.edu/employee-processing
3. Shared Services will then instruct the student to process for payroll if they’re not already an employee. For more information on student processing and onboarding, go to Employee Processing.
4. Once the student has processed for payroll, the supervisor will receive an onboarding email from Shared Services that includes the earliest potential date that the student can start working.
5. You MUST receive the onboarding email before the student can begin working. Once you have received the official onboarding email, work with the student to determine their first day of work and their schedule for the semester. Remember, their first day of work must be on or after the official “Start Date” from the onboarding email.
This form is optional for regular student employment supervisors but required for Federal Work Study supervisors.
On-Campus Student Employees will work with their supervisor to establish a feasible work schedule. Student Employees can work from one up to 28 hours per week on a semesterly basis throughout the fall and spring semesters. International students on F-1 or J-1 Visas, are limited to working 20 hours per week on-campus while school is in session. There are some exceptions where Student Employees can work up to 40 hours per week. Student days off, such as spring break, are days the University itself is not officially closed for a University holiday. Therefore, Student Employees can work full-time during spring break if needed.
This form is to request current student employment and work-study positions to be expired in Handshake.
Developing Career-Ready Students Through Campus Employment: A Supervisor’s Playbook
Student employment is more than filling a position—it is an opportunity to help students build the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed after graduation. Meaningful campus employment contributes to student engagement, retention, career readiness, and overall success.
As a supervisor, you play a vital role in creating an employment experience that helps students connect their work to their academic and career goals. Use the following best practices to intentionally develop career-ready student employees.
1. Comprehensive Onboarding
Start students off on the right foot with a structured onboarding experience. Introduce them to your department, workplace expectations, policies, campus resources, and job responsibilities. A positive onboarding experience builds confidence, fosters belonging, and establishes clear expectations for success.
2. Training & Mentorship
Provide ongoing training, coaching, and mentorship throughout the student’s employment. Regular guidance helps students build confidence, strengthen workplace skills, and learn from real-world experiences. Encourage questions, provide opportunities to learn new responsibilities, and model professional behaviors.
3. Foster an Inclusive Workplace
Create a welcoming environment where every student feels respected, valued, and supported. Ensure employment practices are accessible, equitable, and inclusive, recognizing that students bring diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that enrich the workplace.
4. Offer Flexible Scheduling
Remember that students are students first. Whenever operationally possible, offer flexible work schedules that accommodate classes, exams, internships, and other academic commitments. Flexibility supports student well-being, improves retention, and encourages academic success.
5. Leverage CliftonStrengths
Encourage student employees to complete the CliftonStrengths assessment through the Purpose Center. Understanding their natural talents helps students recognize how they contribute to a team while allowing supervisors to assign projects and responsibilities that maximize strengths and encourage growth.
6. Connect Students with the Career Center
Encourage student employees to take advantage of the Career Center’s services, including career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, interview preparation, career fairs, networking opportunities, and career exploration resources. Reinforce that career development is an ongoing process that begins long before graduation.
7. Align Work with Career Goals
Help students understand how their campus job prepares them for future careers. Discuss the transferable skills they are developing—such as communication, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, professionalism, and technology—and connect those experiences to their academic and career aspirations. When students see the purpose behind their work, they become more engaged and motivated.
8. Provide Regular Feedback & Support Career Readiness
Schedule regular check-ins to provide timely, constructive feedback and recognize accomplishments. Encourage students to reflect on their progress and identify opportunities for growth. Utilize NACE Ready + Suitable to assess career readiness competencies, document development over time, and guide meaningful coaching conversations.
The Supervisor’s Impact
Campus supervisors are more than managers—they are educators, mentors, and career influencers. Every interaction, assignment, and coaching conversation is an opportunity to help students build confidence and develop the competencies employers value most.
By intentionally creating meaningful employment experiences, supervisors support the University commitment to student success while preparing students for fulfilling careers after graduation. When student employment is viewed as a high-impact learning experience, every shift becomes an opportunity to develop the next generation of career-ready Mountaineers.
Questions?
For Regular Student Employment questions, please contact us at studentemployment@mail.wvu.edu or call us at 304-293-2221.
For Federal Work Study questions, go to https://financialaid.wvu.edu/fws or submit a ticket with the WVU Hub at https://hub.wvu.edu/contact#ticket.
