By Lauren Sullivan ’23, CCA Intern
As a current sophomore in college, the prospect of job searching is absolutely daunting. While there is an abundance of resources available at my fingertips, it can be overwhelming figuring out where to start.
Here are some reasons Handshake is a personal favorite of mine.
- The jobs appearing on Handshake are tailored specifically towards your individual needs as a student.
Searching through jobs on other websites can often be a frustrating experience when you see a job that you’re interested in, but you find at the bottom of the description you don’t qualify as a college student. This has happened to me personally so many times. The jobs appearing on Handshake are tailored specifically towards students. You know that any jobs that are being presented to you are FOR you. Recruiters are able to get a glimpse of who you are through your classes, extracurriculars, resume, and more.
- Handshake partners specifically with colleges, including Bucknell, so you know these companies are interested in students like me and you.
In fact, many times companies are often reaching out to you to ask for interviews, not the other way around. These jobs are based on your interests and passions. With over 500,000 companies on handshake, a number that only continues to grow, you always know there’s something out there for you.
- The variety of what the website offers: Links to jobs and employers tailored for your interests, various career paths, link to Bucknell’s career center, alumni networks, etc.
- The first link on the homepage are links to jobs and employers, which presents you the most relevant job and internships based on your specific interests and needs
- The next link, unique to Handshake, shows you employers on Handshake. These can be categorized by location, industry, employer size, or keywords
- You also have the option to search students and alumni, events going on all around the country, and different career paths a student could explore
- There’s also a link to Bucknell’s career center directly, where you can find links to events happening on campus
It’s a great way to have all these resources in one place. I personally find it so much easier to use than Linkedin.
- It’s a great way to network with others! Not just with alumni, but also with students just like us.
There’s a link that you can use to connect with fellow students all around the country based on your interests. If you want, you can narrow it down to students at your own college, alumni only, or based on graduation year. It’s pretty awesome to know there are literally thousands of people I could connect with, both near and far, new and old, at the click of a button
- The incredibly helpful Q & A section.
Here, you can browse through thousands of questions asked by others. They’ve been answered not only by professionals, but also by students, which offers such a unique perspective. You also have the opportunity to both ask and answer questions. I love this feature because I learn answers to questions I didn’t even know I had and I get the chance to help others based on my own experiences.
As you can see, there are many reasons why you should be on Handshake. Networking is such an important aspect of navigating your career path. Handshake allows you to easily do so with students and alumni from both Bucknell and other schools while also making it easy to find jobs and internships suited for you all in one place. Until we can meet in person, I hope to connect with you on Handshake soon!
Thanks to Lauren for sharing these great tips on why you should be on Handshake and how to get started. Have you activated your account yet? It’s as easy as signing into myBucknell/Bmail account.