You signed up for Handshake—congratulations! You’re on your way to finding a great job or internship. To help you get started, we’ve outlined five steps to take during your first five days on Handshake. Read below for tips that will put you on track to landing your next opportunity.
Day 1: Fill out your profile
Don’t skip the most important step of getting started on Handshake—completing your profile. This is absolutely necessary to have success in finding a job or internship. The information in your profile helps you receive the most relevant job recommendations, and helps employers find you in their candidate searches. Plus, it allows you to demonstrate what makes you special, beyond the basics of your resume!
Make sure to fill in your job interests including job type, cities, and roles that you want to explore. (Don’t worry if you’re not quite sure what you want to do or where you want to be, you can update your profile at any time.) Next, add your work experience, courses, organizations, and skills. The more information you include in your profile, the better your chances are of hearing from recruiters. Finally, have some fun with it—personalize your profile with a pic, colorful cover photo, and a short summary about you!
Upload your resume so you’ll be ready to apply to jobs. If you’re applying for more than one type of role, consider modifying your resume for each one and uploading different versions.
Day 2: Explore jobs and save the ones you like
Once you’ve filled out your profile, you’ll receive personalized job recommendations based on this information. And as you add interests and update your profile, your recommendations will update as well—helping you find the right jobs for you.
As you’re viewing your recommended jobs on Handshake, save the ones that catch your eye. This will store them on your dashboard and in the Saved tab on the job search page—helping you quickly find them when you’re ready to apply. You’ll receive important notifications about saved jobs, including reminders to apply before the deadline.
Saving jobs also shows Handshake what you're looking for, so your job recommendations become even more relevant. To save a job, click the bookmark icon located on the right side of the job preview or on the left hand side of the job page.
Day 3: See who’s hiring and follow employers
The employers you see on Handshake want to hire students at your school. And with top employers in every field, you’ll be able to find companies you want to work for. When you see an employer you like, be sure to follow them by clicking the Follow button on their page.
You’ll receive alerts when the employers you follow post new jobs and events on Handshake. Plus, following employers helps improve your job recommendations.
Day 4: Start honing your personal brand on the feed
A great way to stand out to your target companies and peers in your preferred field is to start posting on the Handshake feed. Whether you're filming videos to show off your favorite projects, or you're digging deeper in the comments to learn more about a career path, the feed is a great place to establish your career community on Handshake and get involved in the conversations that interest you.
Day 5: Apply to your first job or internship
Spend some time today going through your saved jobs and new recommendations, and start applying! Because you’ve filled out your profile and uploaded your resume, you’ll be able to apply to many jobs on Handshake in just a few clicks. We recommend keeping an open mind and applying to as many jobs as you’d like, especially if you're interested in more than one field. It’ll increase your chances of finding a great job and help you explore potential careers.
If a job posting requires a cover letter, check out these tips for crafting a letter that will help your application stand out.
That’s it—just follow these tips to make your first week on Handshake a success! Log into Handshake now to get started.