The 7-Day Handshake Profile Challenge

Handshake is much more than a job board. It’s the nation’s #1 college-to-career network, with thousands of employers (including 100% of Fortune 500 companies) looking to recruit college talent like you! At any given time you can find more than 15,000 full-time jobs, 5,000 internships, and 500 co-ops on Handshake, many of these opportunities being in the tri-state CT-MA-NY area. And being a UConn student, you have free access to the platform!

Not sure how to get started with Handshake? Don’t try to do it all in one day. Instead, kick off your career future with a simple challenge, spread out into small steps over 7 days. That means one week to full Handshake mastery!

Day 1: Activate your Handshake profile

This is the easiest step – go to uconn.joinhandshake.com and click the University of Connecticut Student Login box. Handshake at UConn uses Single Sign On, so simply enter your NetID and Password and you’re in!

Day 2: Upload your résumé

Did you know that you can upload your résumé and your Handshake profile will auto-pull tons of information? Save yourself the effort of writing information multiple times; upload your résumé before adding anything else to your profile. Then you’ll only have to fill in the blanks!

Day 3: Fill out your job preferences

Select the desired locations where you would like to work, preferred job roles, and your ideal job type: part-time. full-time, internship, or on-campus.

Day 4: Add experience to your profile

Add any volunteering, internships, or work that you’ve already completed to your profile. This allows prospective employers to see your previous and current responsibilities. 

Day 5: Fill out past courses and special skills

Pull up your academic record and fill out specific courses, projects, skills, and talents that could be relevant to your future career. This will help give prospective employers a better idea of the special stuff you have to offer their organization!

Day 6: Follow five interesting employers

Explore different organizations and companies on Handshake and follow them for updates. Often, recruiters check who is following them — it can help you get on their radar and ensure you get first alerts for new opportunities!

Day 7: Apply to a job that interests you

This one’s self-explanatory. Now that you’re a Handshake super-user, make sure to apply for jobs and internships!

That’s it! Seven easy steps to becoming a Handshake pro. If you have questions about using Handshake or any of our career development resources, click here to schedule an appointment with a career coach.

This article is adapted from the Handshake student blog. Click here to read on joinhandshake.com.

Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash

By Evan McMunn
Evan McMunn Publicity and Marketing Administrator