Using Handshake to Get Ahead

Posted: 

This week’s blog is a Q&A with Kathryn McCormack, Campus Recruiting Associate Manager at Niagara Bottling. Kathryn answers your frequently asked questions about all things Handshake as we head into fall recruitment.

What information should students have on their Handshake profile?

  • Up to date graduation date – employers may use this information when deciding to reach out for an opportunity or when reviewing your application.
  • Major and area of interest information. Handshake allows students to include a ton of information on their profile; the more, the better!

What is the difference between using Handshake vs. other job boards?

  • Handshake is exclusive to college students and all opportunities are going to be internships or roles for recent grads. While LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. are helpful and will include some of these same opportunities, Handshake is going to have the most opportunities and recruiters are going to be focused on only roles for students.
  • Handshake allows you to learn about and connect with employers that may not recruit at your specific university, so it opens a wider pool of opportunities.

How do employers use Handshake when recruiting?

There are several ways employers may use Handshake; the most common being:

  • Posting jobs: employers will post jobs that students can apply to directly on Handshake and will review applications, just like a job posting you may find elsewhere.
  • Virtual Events: since 2020, virtual events have become much more common and Handshake is a great place to sign up for information sessions, coffee chats and other events, or attend career fairs your school may be hosting.
  • Outreach: many employers will use Handshake messaging to reach out to students that fit the profile they are looking for in a certain role to encourage them to apply. Each student sets their Handshake settings, so you can choose to have those messages forwarded to an email or view only in Handshake. Regardless of which you choose, you should be checking those messages regularly throughout the recruiting season. Many students feel like they get too many messages or that some are “spam”, but from the employer side this is the best way to reach out to individual students, so it is worth skimming these messages frequently to see if anyone reached out with an interesting opportunity.

What tips do you have for students looking to stand out?

  • Have your contact information on resumes you submit through Handshake. This may seem obvious, but many students assume that the recruiter will reach out via Handshake and then a message gets lost or goes unread.
  • Make sure you are reading the requirements for the role and applying only if you have the requested major or graduation date. Most employers work hard to make sure that information is included in each job posting, and for internships or entry level roles we are really only able to consider candidates that meet those basic qualifications.
  • Students apply to so many opportunities each season, it can be hard to keep track. Add in that it can often take employers some time to get back to you, and it is completely understandable that you won’t remember every detail of the job. Prior to any phone call or interview, make sure you are going back and reminding yourself about the opportunity. Reading through the company’s website is also helpful.

“All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.” – Unknown

Engineering Career Services is proud to partner with Niagara Bottling as part of our ECS Partner Program.