Are you an active Handshake user? Have you logged in to Handshake before? If you answered no to both of these questions, we have some news for you. We recently hosted our Handshake University Relationship Manager, José Longo, on College of Charleston’s campus. He taught us the ins-and-outs of how we can better assist our students in understanding this platform while cultivating student engagement.
José Longo pictured with Karen Fritchman, Director of Employer Relations
In this blog post, we will share what you should add to your profile TODAY to help you get the job you were destined for.
Want to quickly and easily increase your chances of finding the job you want on Handshake? Add your job interests to your profile.
When you fill in your interests, two really great things happen:
- Handshake will send you better, more relevant job recommendations.
- You’re more likely to have a recruiter message you directly! 80% of students who share their interests on Handshake receive a message from a recruiter. The more you include, the better your chances of having a recruiter find YOU.
That’s a pretty big return on not a lot of work. And the best part is – filling out your interests is as easy as sharing your opinion with Handshake. Who knows what you like and don’t like better than you?!
So, what even are job interests?
The “Your Interests” section of your Handshake profile is only visible to employers, and includes:
- Job Hunt
- Job Type
- Cities
- Roles
- Industries
These are common fields that employers use to search for potential candidates – so including them on your profile is essential to getting recruited.
What are you looking for?
- Job Hunt: are you actively looking for a job? Check the box so that employers can see that you are #opentowork.
- Job Interests: select part-time job, full-time job, on-campus job, or internship. Looking for an on-campus job for now and an internship for next summer? You can select more than one job type, and Handshake will share recommendations for both.
- Cities: choose the places that you would like to work in or near. There are thousands of employers on Handshake from every corner of the country, so we recommend being open to exploring jobs in a few different locations. You never know where your next opportunity could take you.
- Roles: select at least three job roles that interest you. Handshake will give you suggestions based on your major, school and city. You can also search the job role pages to learn more about what you would like to do.
- Industries: keep in mind that your major does not always necessarily have to equal your career. Add some industries that interest you based on your experiences, and Handshake will take care of the rest!
You might be thinking, “What if I don’t know exactly what I am looking for?” That’s okay. Handshake will give you some suggestions. And, like the rest of your profile information, you can always go back and change your interests later. Your Handshake profile is the key to finding jobs and internships that are the right fit for YOU, and getting recruited by the employers you want to work for. Did you know you can also view your profile from an employer’s point of view? This will give you an exact idea of what they will see when viewing your profile.
Ready to find the right job or internship for you? What are you waiting for?! Log into Handshake and fill in your interests TODAY!
What better way to bring this full circle than to attend the Career Center’s HANDSHAKE RELAUNCH PARTY by registering through Handshake! Want to dive deeper into the possibilities within this platform? Handshake is turning 5 on College of Charleston’s campus this year, and we want to take you to infinity and beyond providing you with the best opportunities. The key to that is understanding what Handshake has to offer. Will we see you there?
Brandon Mills | Career Coach