What can Handshake offer you?
Posted on: 27 October 2021 by Lucky Ali, final-year Biomedical Sciences student and a Digital Coach in Hints, tips and advice
Hellooo!!! I am Lucky, a final-year Biomedical Sciences student and a Digital Coach! I love being a Digital Coach as it allows me to be a part of your career journey, how? I help you to boost your confidence with key digital skills like coding, and the best part is that I get to meet you!!
In case you are wondering how I got the role; it was through Handshake. Handshake is an excellent early career platform that will give you access to opportunities to reach your desired career goals like no other. During your career development journey, it is crucial to build and grow your connections, and Handshake can be highly beneficial for this. It is similar to LinkedIn, but more focused and you can tailor it based on your preferred industry, location, and job interest and it is super easy to use. You can research your dream employers, follow them, and message them directly. You'll be able to network and message students/alumni who have similar interests or experiences or who may have even worked within your preferred industry. I like to think of Handshake as “a way to virtually shake hands with employers”; cool, isn’t it? Let’s learn more about it then!
What can Handshake offer you?
Handshake has different tools and features that allow you to create your career journey from early on. I call it “an all-in-one career and networking platform”!! Handshake is unique because of its four main features:
- Career Centre: it allows you to connect with your Careers and Employability Team with the industry leading appointment management system.
- Journeys: using the University guide you can check your progress as you move through your career journey - this helps you to reflect on your performance and experiences too!
- Events & Careers Fairs: Search for employer led events (virtual and on-campus) and book your place via Handshake.
- Jobs & Employer Network: Handshake has an integrated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that manages your interactions on Handshake and tailors the content based on your interests. The Handshake network allows you to discover new opportunities for your desired career.
How to setup a profile?
Let’s get started then, just pick up your phone, download the Handshake app (or go to Handshake webpage) and sign up using your UoL logins and start building your profile. As students, we are constantly learning new things, so when building your profile, don’t underestimate any of your skills or experiences because remember you always have more skills than you realise.
Showcasing your skills and keeping your profile up to date is key!! Keep your profile public so that it is visible to employers, students, and alumni across all Handshake universities - don’t worry, your personal information will be locked by the University (so hidden from everyone). Recruiters/employers can always reach out to you directly via Handshake Messaging (so not to worry if they can’t see your email address).
6 main things to include in your profile are:
(1) Profile Picture – makes you stand out and it will make your profile 7x more likely to be viewed by an employer
(2) Headline – gives the employer a quick overview of what you are currently doing/studying
(3) Education – include your current & previous educational history
(4) Work & Volunteer Experience – include both paid/unpaid or voluntary work e.g., work experience, internship/placements etc.
(5) Extracurriculars – any activities you’ve done alongside your studies e.g., course rep, sports, language, school prefect etc.
(6) My Journey - talk about yourself, your passions, and what opportunities you are looking for
You can also add other sections like Projects and Courses if applicable.
Having a public and complete profile will give you 5x more chance to be contacted by an employer to invite you to an event or apply for a job. Also, make sure to give your profile a personal touch, you are unique so why not show it on your profile!
Under “My Profile” there is a section called “Your Interests”, where you can select your job, location, roles, and industry preferences, so that Handshake can tailor the content and only show events, internships, and jobs that are most relevant to you.
After you have completed your profile, you can check what is visible to employers and how your profile will appear to them by clicking on “See Employer View” as shown below.
You can also upload documents (e.g., CVs, Cover Letters or any other relevant documents) using the drop-down menu and selecting “Documents” as shown below. You can choose to make them visible on your profile.
From the menu, you can select “Applications” to check the status of your job applications after you have applied and get notified when there is an update.
Opportunities are waiting for you to explore…
Since I started using Handshake, I never had to look back. I got two research internships through Handshake, and I couldn’t be happier for the opportunities. I continue to use it as I can filter for jobs that actually will help me moving towards my career goals. You never know what opportunities are out there until you start exploring! So, what are you waiting for? Get started with Handshake and launch your career today!!
See you on Handshake :)
Connect with me on LinkedIn and stay in touch, always happy to help!
Click here to find out more and access your Handshake account.
Keywords: Handshake , hints and tips, explore, connect.