Diving into job market research can be daunting and exhausting for anyone. Without the proper resources and guidance, it’s easy to feel lost about what career to pursue. Although this feeling occurs to many people, community and technical college students might feel especially vulnerable to it while navigating the complexities of transferring to a four-year university, deciding between tons of different programs, and more.
We feel you and we’ve got your back. The school you go to shouldn’t limit you from the opportunities you deserve. If you’re looking to get a job or internship during community college, the natural next step is to find exactly what’s out there for you:
- What opportunities align with your career interests and your academic background?
- How can you get the best learning experience from this position?
- What skills are most valued in the industry you want to go into?
- And if you haven’t figured out which industry or field you’d like to go into, what options do you have to navigate the decision making process?
By using Handshake to the fullest extent, our platform can help you navigate all of these career-related questions. Here are three ways Handshake can be especially beneficial to community and technical college students:
1. It can help you explore your options
Not sure what you want to do in the future? No problem. With Handshake, you can explore all types of internships, volunteer work, part-time, and full-time jobs. You can also discover all sorts of companies to see which is right for you, and learn from alumni and students who’ve paved the way before you. If you’re not set on a specific career path yet, our platform is a great tool to use to discover job roles that might appeal to you. You might be asking yourself, where do I start? What industries are out there? How can a person with my background be useful at a company I admire? But don’t worry, we’re here to help!
2. It can help you showcase your skills & qualifications
“I believe having a resource such as Handshake would help community college students realize that they can begin their careers with the skills they’ve obtained during community college, rather than waiting to gain admission into a 4-year university like I did. Having accessible career stepping stones would help community college students plan ahead, which is the most crucial step to succeeding as a transfer.”
Isaac Pang, transfer from El Camino College to UCLA
With so many misconceptions that float around community and technical college, one can easily fall into the trap of imposter syndrome: believing they are not good enough for a position. Handshake helps you lay out all the qualities that make you uniquely qualified! You can add volunteer experience, proficiencies and skills, extracurricular activities, and more to your profile.
With Handshake’s help, you can also identify what employers prefer in a candidate to see whether you’re qualified for a position, and if not, what steps you can take to become a more appealing candidate in the future. Handshake not only matches your skills and qualifications to employers, but also guides you to your areas of growth.
3. It can help kick-start your career
“I think Handshake can offer community college students a kick-start on their career. By having a complete profile and by using location filters, getting a job that will build a good foundation and soft skills is just a search away.”
Julie Gentile, transfer from Moorpark College to University of San Francisco
There’s a lot you can do on Handshake beyond finding and applying for jobs. Here’s a few options for you!
- Connect with recruiters by viewing jobs and following employers you’re interested in to up your engagement and learn about events that are happening near you.
- Read reviews from students who have completed an internship or opportunity you’re looking to pursue, then reach out to them for more information.
- Read our Q&As.
Apply to that job! Make all the moves you want to fuel your career, because we’ve got your back.
Get started now
- Log in at joinhandshake.com
- Create a profile with your interests, skills, and academic background
- Personalize your job interests and browse through our recommendations
- Reply to employers who reach out to you and build those relationships