Handshake is a career-based tool at Stevenson University that is essential to securing internships and careers, yet it seems that some Stevenson students don’t know how to use it—or that it even exists.

According to Matt Seiler, director of employee relations in Career Services, “Handshake is an online employment tool for current students, alumni, employers and Career Services staff– it’s an anytime, anywhere online tool for jobs and internships and access to Career Services.”

“We know students are extremely busy with their class and work schedules, so by providing an online tool they can access 24/7, we are trying to alleviate some of their stress,” added Seiler.

Once logged into Handshake, using the same Stevenson log-in used for e-mails and WebXpress, students can navigate to their profile page. Once there, students can add work experience, upload resumes, add external links to outside work, include contact information and much more.

The more information uploaded to a student’s Handshake account is directly proportional to how appealing they are to potential employers.

When it comes to finding jobs and internships on Handshake, according to Seiler, “The first step is making sure you have an updated resume loaded into your Handshake account. Then all you have to do is go to the “jobs” tab once in Handshake. From there you can search by job title, employers, keywords, and location. You can also set filters for Full-Time, Part-Time, Internship, Major, Industry, etc.”

Handshake can be used to search for jobs and internships, not only locally, but across the United States as well.

There’s a lot more to Handshake than just internships. Others include scheduling on-campus interviews with local employers, taking career-driven assessments, RSVPing to career fairs, and scheduling appointments with career advisors.

Career advisors are Stevenson University staff members who are well-versed in the art of the career search. They offer resources such as resume and cover letter reviews, mock interviews, and internship/career search strategies.

The role of career advisors and the Career Services staff, according to Seiler, is “to connect students with their career aspirations through numerous opportunities for career exploration and professional preparation. We provide experiences that develop student’s professional competencies for a competitive edge in the job market today—and for a lifetime of career success!”

Career advisor meetings are scheduled on Handshake, which can be found on the Career Services page of the Stevenson University website, on the SU NOW Portal, on Blackboard or by going straight to Handshake at https://stevenson.joinhandshake.com/.

Career Services is located in Wooded Way and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.