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The Job Search Myths That Could Keep You From Getting Hired on Handshake

We’re setting the record straight to help you get the job you want.

Handshake is here to help all students find great jobs and internships. And we want to clear a few things up! So we’ve collected some common misconceptions about your profile, employer events, applications, and more. Read below to learn the truth about your job search and how to really find the right job for you on Handshake.

It’s not that important to update my Handshake profile, because employers don’t look at it.

Completing and updating your profile may just be the most important thing you can do on Handshake to get hired! Employers who are hiring at your school are searching for candidates based on the information on their profiles: the roles they’re looking for, the cities they want to work in, the skills they have, etc. So it’s extremely important that you fill out all of your interests and experiences in your profile. This will help recruiters find you for the jobs that match what you’re looking for.

I can’t apply for a job if I don’t match the employer’s preferences.

When posting a job or internship, employers may select “preferences” or qualifications that they’re looking for in potential candidates. These preferences, like major, GPA or school year, will show up when you click on the details of a job posting, and Handshake will tell you which preferences match your profile. Think of them as a guide that can help you understand if you’re a good match for the job.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t apply for the job if you don’t match all of the preferences. If you’re interested in the job, you can definitely still apply. If there are other required documents, like a cover letter, as part of the application, that is where you can shine and tell the employer why you think you’re a great candidate.

It’s better to apply for a job on an employer’s website, instead of applying on Handshake.

While some job postings may take you to an external application, you can apply for many jobs right on Handshake in a few clicks. And rest assured that if an employer accepts applications on Handshake, recruiters are actively viewing those applications. But don’t take our word for it, check out just a few of the success stories from students who have been hired!

I don’t think the top employers are recruiting students in my major or at my school.

The main goal of Handshake is to connect students to the right job opportunities, no matter who they are or where they go to school. And that’s exactly why more than 500,000 incredible employers are hiring here—they can recruit from any corner of the country without leaving the office.

And since Handshake is connected to your school’s Career Center, all of the jobs you see are meant for students at your school.

I'm in my first year of school, so I don’t need Handshake yet.

Even if you’re just starting out and not sure what you want to do yet, you can learn a lot about careers and employers on Handshake. You can find part-time and on-campus jobs, explore careers that students at your school and in your major pursue, read employer and internship reviews from other students and recent grads, and much more. Plus, it’s never too early to start looking for your first internship! There are opportunities for every student no matter your school year.

Handshake isn’t for me because I don’t attend a four-year college or university.

The employers on Handshake are looking for talented students in a variety of places, not just the traditional four-year schools. Whether you attend a community college, coding bootcamp, or are pursuing your Associate’s degree, you can find job and internship opportunities that are right for you.

I don’t have access to my .edu email address, so I can’t join Handshake.

If you’re a recent grad and don’t have your .edu email address, you can use a personal or generic email address to sign up for Handshake. After you sign up, someone from your school’s Career Center will approve your account to get you set up.

You can’t really make a connection with employers at virtual recruiting events.

Employers are changing the way they’re hiring students. Recruiting is now nearly all virtual, so virtual recruiting events are an essential way to learn about who’s hiring at your school and connect with companies that will want to hire you.

A major benefit of attending virtual events is that you don’t have to wait in line for a chance to talk to popular employers. When you register for a virtual recruiting event on Handshake, you sign up for session times with the employers you want to meet. These sessions will help you make a personal connection with employer ambassadors and learn about current job and internship opportunities.

There isn’t an easy way to share my resume with the employers I meet at virtual recruiting events.

Once you’ve created your resume, you can easily share your resume with employers by uploading it to your Handshake profile and making it visible. If you’ve previously uploaded your resume, double check that it’s marked as visible so that employers can view it. After you attend a virtual career fair, employers will have access to your resume when they download a list of participants from their sessions.

Learn how to check your resume’s visibility.

Log into Handshake to put this new knowledge into practice and refresh your job search!

Find the right jobs for you. Get hired.