Handshake is a great resource for job and internship searches, professional development events, networking, and more! If you don’t already have a Handshake profile- what are you waiting for? Click HERE to get started building your profile and familiarizing yourself with Handshake’s features. If you already have a profile you may be wondering “what now?”- see below for 5 Handshake features you (probably) didn’t know you had and how to use them!
Saved Jobs/Internships
Handshake is a great place to find internships and jobs- it’s also the place to find on-campus job opportunities as a student! With so many great opportunities, you can get overwhelmed easily. Luckily, Handshake offers an option to ‘save’ job and internship listings you are interested in, so you don’t have to scroll through pages of opportunities to find the one you’re looking for. This can be a great feature to keep track of opportunities you want to apply for. Simply click on the purple ribbon listed beside an opportunity’s title to add it to your saved folder. Then, click the banner at the top of the screen that says ‘Saved’ to view all opportunities you placed there.
Q&A
Handshake users are just like you- students and recent graduates! The Q&A function (located at the top of the screen as a tab) is a great way to learn more about other students’ experiences with companies and in specific roles, as well as gain advice about possible career paths, interviewing, and more! You can search the Q&A section to find specifics on certain companies such as “Tips on my interview at Kiewit?” or search more broadly such as “I want to succeed as a network engineer, what skills will help me do so?”. You can also view Recently Asked questions, contribute answers, and ask your own questions. Remember, any user on Handshake can see what you post or ask, so make sure to proofread and keep it professional!
Message Students
Handshake allows users to message other students- both at their university and others across the country. You can filter by school, majors, previous employers and more! This tool is a great way to connect with other likeminded students, as well as form a professional network. One way to use this function is to search my ‘Previous Employers’ and look for students who have worked in roles you are interested in pursuing or have held the internship position you are looking to get or have been offered. Message them first by introducing yourself, the asking about their experience at the company, tips & tricks for someone starting with them, or how the application and interview process works. Remember to be professional in your interactions and to respond to messages in a timely manner- and always thank someone for their time when you reach out!
Applications
The Applications section, located under your picture in the top righthand corner, can help you keep track of the positions you’ve applied for and the status of those applications. You can see what date you applied on (which is great for referencing in follow-up emails with the company), the status of your application (i.e. hired, primary, pending, or declined), and you can click on the opportunity title to reread the job description- this can be helpful for preparing for interviews, since the job will no longer appear under the Jobs tab once the application period has closed.
Documents
The Documents section, also located under your picture in the top righthand corner, will show all the documents you have uploaded to your profile (such as your resume), as well as the documents you have used to apply for positions though Handshake (resumes, cover letters, transcripts, etc.). This is an easy way to keep track of your current documents, as well as see what application materials were submitted to certain positions. If you get an interview, you want to make sure you bring copies of the same resume you submitted to the position (unless you have updated it since, which you will want to alert the company to). Since you should tailor your resume to the position you are applying for, it can be helpful to see the specific resumes listed, as well as the dates you uploaded them in this section.
Handshake has many features that are helpful and useful tools to make job and internship searches, professional development, and networking easy for students! Check out more helpful Handshake tips in the Resources section on the VCEA Internships & Career Services website. Have Handshake questions? Join our Daily Drop-In Career Coaching hours Monday-Friday 11am-4pm via Zoom.