Find Your Next: Handshake Top 5 Tips
Update and complete your profile
One of the best things that you can do to maximize all that Handshake has to offer is to complete and continuously update your profile. Handshake has reported that students who complete their profile are five times more likely to be contacted by an employer.
Additional Profile To-Dos:
- Complete the interests and skills sections so Handshake can automatically push jobs that match these areas to you.
- Consider making your profile public so employers can reach out to you directly (Fun Fact: employers conduct over 25,000 student searches per month. Which means a complete, public profile increases your chances of an employer reaching out to you directly).
- Upload an updated copy of your resume so you can quickly apply to jobs and internships
Search for Jobs & Events
There are various search functions in Handshake to find both a job and employer match based on position type, location and field of interest. Hiatt also receives postings from Brandeis alumni and parents that are looking to hire fellow Brandeisians. To locate these listings, search for “Brandeis Alum/Parent Opportunity” in the search bar and reach out directly to the contact in each posting.
Employers and Hiatt have since moved event offerings from in-person to virtual. View what is upcoming in the events section of Handshake and be sure to register to receive further instructions about how to log on and join online sessions.
Search Reviews
Wonder what it is like to work at a specific company or intern at a large non-profit organization? Handshake recently launched a “Review” feature where previous student employees submit their own reviews regarding career experiences.
Under the “Employer” tab in Handshake, type an employer that you are interested in learning more about to see reviews. For example, if you type “Amazon” in the search bar, you will see there are 484 reviews from students, just like you! Click on the review link to read what students are saying:
- The work was very interesting, and I was able to learn a lot by working on the codebase alongside other engineers, building applications and systems which are still being used.
- Lots of cool projects to work on. My mentor was awesome and helpful.
- I wish I had started sooner. While it was pretty busy work, it was stable and regular, giving me some much-needed structure for my summer.
Reviews help you learn about student experiences, work culture and the strengths and weaknesses of an internship program. These reviews can help give you an inside look into a company you are thinking of pursuing and help you determine if it is a good fit.
Q&A
In Q&A, students can ask career-related questions and get answers from other students and alumni at other Handshake schools. Wonder how to break through into a big marketing firm or what the culture is like on Wall Street? Simply type your question in the search bar and see what others are saying. Alternatively, start your own thread by asking specific questions to other students and alumni!
Just remember - all content in the Review and Q&A sections of Handshake is closely moderated and should be used in a professional manner.
Make an Appointment with a Hiatt Career Counselor
For additional help, set up an appointment with a Hiatt career counselor. Hiatt counselors are currently hosting appointments virtually (phone, Zoom, Skype) and are available Monday-Friday. All of our counselors are general career counselors, but look at staff profiles to see who might have similar interests Hiatt is here to help you navigate this difficult time and we are here to listen!
If you have any questions about Handshake, contact Kim Airasian at kairasian@brandeis.edu.
Now, go do some virtual Handshaking and find your next!
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