The Career Center has transitioned over to using a new career management system called Handshake. It is an online recruiting network for college students and alumni. Through Handshake, people can collaborate with universities and other employers to simplify and improve the hiring process. Now that the Career Center has partnered with Handshake, students and alumni can register for upcoming job fairs, information sessions and other recruiting opportunities through the platform. It also allows students to set up appointments and interviews with the staff in the career center.
With the numerous jobs and internship opportunities that Handshake offers, the staff in the career center approve these jobs and internships every day. If students are looking for a specific job or internship, the program allows you to filter specific interests that you are looking for. Many of the jobs and internships posted on the system vary from remote, close to school and opportunities that are close to home. Handshake has over seven thousand employers, lots of which are fortune 500 companies.
Although not all of these companies are approved by the Mount, employers have the opportunity to connect with the Mount and other universities. When employers post job and internship opportunities to hire college students or alumni, it provides easier access for them to apply for these opportunities. Matthew Pouss, the Interim Director of the Career Center, claimed, “Our goal is to have a diverse range of local opportunities that can be helpful for current students while at the same time offer options for former students looking to relocate or stay in a particular area.”
After partnering with Handshake, the staff in the Career Center’s goal is to have students use it as a strategy option and first selection when looking for internships and job opportunities. The accounting recruitment process at the Mount has worked with other accounting employers where most of them appeared to be on Handshake. “Having online platforms is important for finding opportunities and having a value in networking with other professionals,” said Pouss. Through Handshake, there is an abundance of job opportunities and internships that benefit students, staff, and employers seeking to make long-term employment connections.
Before Handshake, the Career Center used Mount Hired as its platform for students and alumni seeking career opportunities. Since their transition, Handshake has been more helpful and easier for students to connect with employers. The staff in the Career Center chose to transition from Mount Hire to Handshake because many employers they were working with shared their experience with using Handshake. When the Career Center partnered with other colleges and universities for the virtual career fair, it gave them hands-on experience to work with Handshake. “Handshake has offered more value, utility, and is more user-friendly for students,” stated Pouss. As the career center continues to work with Handshake, they hope to have more students and alumni rely more on Handshake to further their education by securing jobs and internships within their career interests.