Did you know that you can chat with other students and recent alumni on Handshake? The messaging feature on Handshake gives you a direct line to nearly six million active students and recent alumni who are job searching, interning, or have landed their first full-time job. This network is a great resource for you to get useful advice about interviews, internships, and more.
Making your profile visible to other students
Before sending a message, you must make your profile visible to other students and alumni. To do this, go to the Settings & Privacy section of your profile and select the Community option. This also makes your profile visible to employers, so recruiters will be able to find you!
Don’t worry—your profile will never be visible to employers that aren’t approved by your school, or to anyone outside of the Handshake network. You also can change your privacy settings at any time.
Finding students you want to message
There are several ways to find students and alumni that can help you.
- On the Students page, you can search for students by school year, major, previous employers, and student organizations.
- When you click on an employer page, you’ll see students who have worked there, and can tell you more about company culture, internship projects, and more.
- You’ll also find student reviews on an employer’s page. You’ll see a Message button on the review if that student is open to talking more about their experience.
- On the Q&A page, you can find students who’ve asked or answered a question, and reach out to them for more information.
You’ll see a blue Message button on the profiles of students and alumni who have indicated they’re open to chatting with you.
What can you ask other students about?
When you open a message, you’ll be asked to choose the topic of your question. The topics are: Professional Experience, Education Recommendations, Resume Advice, Interview Advice, Reviews or Q&A, and Other Career Related Topic.
- Professional Experience. Search for someone who has interned or works at a company you’re interested in, and ask them about company culture, intern projects and more.
- Education Recommendations. Find out the best courses to take to prepare for a particular career. Or ask a graduate school student about their work, professors, and experience if you’re thinking about applying.
- Resume Advice. Learn what to include on your resume that best highlights your courses, projects and unique experience.
- Interview Advice. Gain insight into a company’s interview questions and process.
- Reviews or Q&A. Ask for more information on a student’s review or Q&A question.
- Other Career Related Topic. Ask any other career-related question.
After you've selected the topic of your question, you’ll see a customizable template to help you draft your message. Or, you can clear the template text if you prefer to write your own. You’ll get an email notification when the student answers your question.
You’ll also get a notification if another student reaches out to you for advice! You have the option to accept or decline a message. After you accept the message, you'll be able to respond. If you decline, you'll get a prompt asking why you're declining.
Tip: You can report a message if it violates Handshake's messaging guidelines. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the messaging page, and you’ll see the option to flag the message.
The students and alumni on the Handshake network are a great resource for you as you search for your next job or internship. They can provide a unique perspective and have the specific insight you’re looking for. Log into Handshake today and get the advice you need!