Parents & Family

August ’26 News

Fall Recruiting Season Is Here — Help Your Student Get Ready

Organizations are launching their fall recruitment plans for full-time roles and summer internships, so now is the time for your student to get engaged. Here’s what families should know.

Step One: Power Up Handshake
Before anything else, encourage your student to power up their Handshake profile — completing it fully and clearly defining their career interests. This crucial step directly determines which opportunities, employer visits, and OPCD communications your student sees in their feed. The more current your student’s profile, the better Handshake and the OPCD can support them.

Register for the Fall Career Fair – Wednesday, September 16 | Noon–4 p.m. | Sutton Center

Students can network directly with employer representatives—many of whom are Wake Forest alumni—to learn about organizations and their current hiring needs for both full-time jobs and summer internships. Encourage your student to attend, arrive prepared with questions, and follow up afterward. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn and make meaningful professional connections. Student registration begins August 31.

Attend Employer Information Sessions
Hundreds of on-campus and virtual employer sessions occur throughout the semester, with details posted in Handshake. Remind your student to check Handshake regularly and register early for sessions that interest them. These are the best way to learn about different types of work and roles available to Wake Forest students, no matter one’s major.

Don’t Miss Out on Accounting, Consulting & Finance Sophomore Year Recruiting
For students interested in accounting, consulting, or finance, recruiting starts well ahead of other industries — as early as sophomore year, with application deadlines in August and September. If this describes your student, encourage them to start preparing now, as the window closes quickly:

• Consulting Four-Year Game Plan
• Financial Services Four-Year Game Plan

Be Engaged While Studying Abroad This Fall
Students abroad shouldn’t miss out on opportunities. Most organizations offer virtual interviews for selected applicants who are not on campus, so encourage your student to continually explore opportunities, attend virtual information sessions, and apply through Handshake. If there’s a specific organization they’re hoping to connect with but can’t reach on their own, they can email o for networking assistance.

Apply Early. Don’t Wait.
Many organizations are receiving very high application volumes and are shortening deadlines, sometimes closing postings before the originally listed date. Encourage your student to apply early, as soon as possible after the opportunity was posted, rather than waiting until the last minute.

---

For College Students

1. Power up Handshake. Encourage your student to complete their Handshake profile and clearly define their career interests. This step directly drives which OPCD communications they receive.
2. Read all emails from and Handshake. Students who’ve specified their interests in Handshake will receive relevant messages about opportunities, employer visits, events matched to those interests. If they do not read their emails, they will miss out on great opportunities!
3. Know the early timelines. As noted above, accounting, consulting, or finance recruiting starts especially early — sometimes as soon as sophomore year, with application deadlines this August and September.
4. Meet with a career coach. OPCD coaches are ready to help your student define their goals, refine their résumé and online presence, and answer questions. Please encourage them to schedule an appointment with a career coach.

---

For School of Business Students

If your junior or senior is still seeking an internship or full-time position, encourage them to connect and stay actively engaged with the Market Readiness & Employment (MRE) Team. MRE offers individualized career coaching, résumé and LinkedIn development, interview preparation, networking guidance, and access to industry-specific resources. They can schedule an appointment here.

The MRE team also uses engagement and outcomes data to identify where students may need extra support, connects students with employers and alumni, and helps them build the professional, technical, and AI-related skills employers increasingly expect.

How families can help:

• Encourage regular meetings with their MRE career coach
• Remind them to keep their Handshake profile and career interests current
• Encourage prompt responses to career-related communications
• Support attendance at employer and networking events
• Reinforce consistent follow-through on applications and coaching action steps

Early, sustained engagement with MRE helps students broaden their opportunities, sharpen how they talk about their Wake Forest business education, and move faster toward employment.

Hire Wake Forest Talent

As a parent or family member, you know firsthand the quality, dedication, and preparation of Wake Forest students. If your organization is looking for exceptional interns or full-time employees who are ready to make an immediate impact, we encourage you to consider hiring from within the Forest.

Our students are equipped with the professional and communication skills, technical expertise, and adaptability required in today’s evolving workplace. You can help create opportunities for the next generation of Deacons by either contacting our Employer Relations team directly () or referring your head of talent and recruiting to our Employer Resources page.

---

Spring 2026 Webinars

---

---

How can I guide my student through the college-to-career process?

You know the furniture assembly instructions that are impossible to follow especially when you have missing parts? Our Ready 7 process is not like that! We not only provide 7 achievable steps for students to follow, but also the tools and resources to complete them in order to be fully “career and life ready.” As a supporter of your student, we’ve put together a Ready 7 guide just for families which includes language on how to help your Deac navigate the process.