Ohio University students eager to kick off the academic year on a high note and get a jump-start on exploring career and internship opportunities and connecting with potential employers are encouraged to log in to the University’s new online career network, Handshake.
In April, OHIO’s Career and Leadership Development Center (CLDC) announced that it was replacing one of its primary online career tools, Bobcat CareerLink, with Handshake, an online career network that is more user-friendly, results-driven and designed to increase students’, alumni’s and the University’s access and exposure to employers. In the months since the announcement was made, thousands of Bobcats have begun using the career network and thousands more employers are connecting with Ohio University, its students and its alumni through it.
A leading career platform, Handshake is used at over 400 universities and by more than 200,000 employers throughout the world, including every Fortune 500 company. Handshake provides its users access to that network of employers via a modern and personalized platform where users create their individual profiles.
“Handshake looks and feels much like social media,” explained Aaron Sturgill, associate director for employer relations at the CLDC. “When users log onto Handshake, the system’s tools are in the places where you’d expect them to be. The site’s navigation is modeled a little bit like Facebook. The homepage will remind users of Pinterest, and the user’s profile will look a lot like LinkedIn. Those elements combine for a much more user-friendly experience.”
On Handshake, users can search for career opportunities in more than 60 industries while at the same time receiving personalized job recommendations.
“When users log onto the system, they’re not just seeing the most recent job postings. They’re seeing job postings that are tailored specifically to them,” said Erika Peyton, assistant director for employer relations and marketing at the CLDC.
According to Peyton, Handshake uses algorithms that create individualized employment recommendations based on a user’s professional interests, including their field of study and geographical preferences, as well as their previous system usage and search history.
undefinedPictured is an example of a student dashboard on Handshake. The content on the dashboard is tailored to a student’s professional interests. Handshake also serves as a one-stop personal career services shop where users can store their career exploration materials, such as resumes and job applications; receive information about upcoming CLDC events like its Career and Internship Fairs; and document their participation in CLDC services and events, including career coaching appointments. Handshake even offers a mobile app that allows users access to all of the platform’s services wherever they go. Every Ohio University student has an individual Handshake account set up for them. Those accounts include basic information provided by the University Registrar, including the student’s name, major(s), minor(s), college and year. That information is visible to employers and other Handshake users only after a student has made their Handshake profile public. Use of Ohio University’s Handshake account is free for OHIO students and alumni. Since launching the account this past spring, nearly 2,800 Ohio University students have logged into the University’s Handshake account, more than 2,500 of those students have created a public profile, and approximately 1,260 of those students have completed their Handshake profiles. “The more complete your profile is, the more likely you’re going to be identified by employers and the sooner you’ll start to connect with those employers and job opportunities best suited for you,” Peyton said.
undefinedPictured is an example of a student profile on Handshake. This is the content that potential employers would see once students make their profiles public. As of early July, approximately 4,100 employers – representing 62 industries and in more than 1,000 locations worldwide – have connected to OHIO through Handshake, providing them a direct connection to Bobcats using Handshake and allowing them to search those Bobcats’ Handshake profiles as part of their recruitment efforts. Those employers represent 62 industries, ranging from accounting, communications and education to health care, entertainment and international affairs, and hailing from more than 1,000 locations worldwide – from Anchorage, Alaska, to Boston, Massachusetts, and from Beijing, China, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Students can access their Handshake accounts at ohio.joinhandshake.com using their OHIO ID and the password connected to that ID and can start building their profile immediately. Information on how OHIO alumni can access Handshake is available here. Students are encouraged to take some time to familiarize themselves with Handshake and all of its features. Training courses and video tutorials are available via the system’s online help center, and CLDC staff will be providing information on Handshake and assisting students in setting up their profiles at all of the center’s upcoming events. For more information on OHIO’s Handshake account and to learn how to set up your Handshake profile, click here.