HANDSHAKE: Finding a Job and More

As a Senior, something always on my mind, which I am sure many seniors could agree on is: What will I do after I graduate?

The answers to this question will vary, some will choose to continue learning and attend graduate school, medical school, but many will join the workforce.

If you are planning to join the workforce; Handshake, which many of you hopefully have heard about is the perfect way to get started. 

So what is Handshake

Handshake is a career-service platform. Essentially, Handshake is an engine that was founded in 2014, with the purpose to connect students to potential employers. This is a platform created for you and me, to help us find jobs across America. As a Hope College student and even alumni, if you do not already have a Handshake account it is super easy to get started. The sign-in page will ask you to choose your school which would be Hope College. This will redirect you to enter your school’s username and password, this is your Hope College email username and password. 

The awesome thing about Handshake is that it allows the user to be really specific in the position that is desired. When creating the account it will ask for your area of interest and what kind of job you would like to look for. For example, if you are a senior wishing to find a full-time job in public relations in Boston, MA it is possible to filter some job opportunities right off the bat. 

On the Handshake home screen, Handshake presents different positions that might interest you, are popular based on your major, upcoming events, etc. Going on to the job search, you still have the ability to search based on job titles, employers, city, state, etc. The jobs posted will have details in order to know if it is a position you would like to apply too and if you match well with the requirements of a position Handshake will let you know. It is super easy to apply if there is a quick apply, however, there usually is also a link to apply through their website directly which would be recommended to do. 

There are a lot more perks to using Handshake, which include finding out about events that are happening around campus that are related to career. For example, under the Events page, you are able to view the details for all the events happening during the Boerigter Center’s Career Week. In addition to this, all appointments for Boerigter staff are scheduled through Handshake. Networking is also something that Handshake helps with, this allows you to know what jobs individuals who have similar interests or majors are doing after college. 

In conclusion, these are a few reasons why Handshake is an amazing tool to have and use:

  1. Makes job searching fast and convenient
  2. Schedule appointments at the Boerigter
  3. Find about career events that may interest you
  4. Network with individuals in your same major or interest

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