Is Handshake the Best Way for Students to Find Jobs?

For most college students, the job search is overwhelming. Between cold networking on LinkedIn, emailing recruiters directly, attending career events, and preparing for on-campus interviews, there's barely time to stop and take a breath!

Then, of course, there's the complication of the internet. With employment opportunities advertised everywhere, students struggle to avoid scams and keep track of useful resources for career advancement. This makes it difficult for students to find updated, reliable job listings.

That's one of the problems Handshake helps address.

What is Handshake?

Created in 2013 by three Michigan Tech University students, Handshake is an online job board for college students and recent grads from over 500 U.S. colleges. To sign up, you must use a .edu email and create a profile by adding the college you attend, your field of study, previous experience, and any other relevant information.

You can search jobs from thousands of companies who are interested in students from your school. They are shown to you based on how well your profile matches the job requirements, or you can do a refined search using different filters, such as location and full-time or part-time jobs. Handshake also lets you apply to certain positions directly through their service, "with as little as two clicks", according to their website.

The website also boasts a number of other features, including:

• Information regarding events hosted by universities and companies. These are related to job opportunities, career insights, and more.
• A Q&A section, where students can ask for career advice.
• Opportunities to connect with recruiters and other students in order to grow your network.
• An option to follow companies you are interested in and get updates on future openings and events.

The “career center” is another helpful resource on Handshake.

Each career center is tailored to the specific university you attend. Through this page, you can schedule appointments with the career services staff at your university, sign up for career fairs and on-campus recruiting events, and get resources for your job search.

What are the pros and cons of using Handshake?

With over 14 millions students and alumni and 500,000+ employer accounts on the platform, there are clear advantages to using Handshake.

Some folks boast a lot of success from the platform.

One Reddit user claims they got their current job by applying directly through Handshake, and that they had more success applying this way over applying to company websites. However, the user advised following up your Handshake application with an email to the employer to show more interest.

Other users claim they have little to no success using Handshake.

One Reddit poster spoke of the low response rate from employers.

“Out of over the 100 places I applied to via Handshake, I got interviews with maybe 4 of the companies listed,” he said. “I highly doubt even half the companies bother looking through any of the applications they receive online: Twitter, for example, notoriously relies on career fairs and referrals for their internship process, and didn't even bother looking at their online applications this year. I had much better luck through referrals and career fairs.”

Most reviewers, however, say Handshake is a mixed bag. They offer advice on how to get the best results.

One Reddit user said that Handshake was a useful tool for seeing open positions, but says that their experience applying to jobs through the website was not as successful as applying directly. Instead, they primarily use Handshake to look for open positions, and then apply independently.

“Handshake is awesome because it is a compilation of all job opportunities,” they said. “It is your responsibility to click the link and apply on [the] company's own side.”

Another user recommends at least filling out a profile, since it can help you get discovered by companies that are hiring.

“I also got an email out of the blue from a recruiter for a company I ultimately had an internship with this year who said she found me through [H]andshake,” he said. “As for applying to jobs/internships through it I’m not sure if it’s more effective than LinkedIn, but it probably doesn’t hurt to have a profile out there.”

Some startups rely on Handshake for recruiting, so if you're interested in roles at smaller companies, take a look. One Reddit user said that his start-up uses Handshake to hire interns. Since the website makes it easy for students to apply, companies can receive many applications for only a few open positions.

“I too use [H]andshake to hire interns,” he said. “I have 1 or 2 positions available and I received over 300 applications in 1 month,”

Many Handshake users make their applications stand out by tailoring their resume to each opportunity. 

“When I was a senior I submitted the same resume to about, not kidding, 300+ applications,” one Reddit user said. “I was finding menial success and was told to take every key word from those job postings and find a way to get them on my resume. 18 interviews and two offers later, success. Every job I’ve done post-grad has been gotten with a tailored resume.”

So, is Handshake the best resource for students looking for jobs?

There are trade-offs to any online job board, but Handshake users seem to find the website a useful tool in their job search, especially since it is a free resource that is popular among university career centers.

With the website being utilized by so many college students, it can be hard for users to stand out by applying strictly through Handshake. Tailoring your resume and cover letter, emailing recruiters, and applying through the companies directly seem to boost one's success.

While some users say the website isn’t the best way to apply to jobs, they say it is a useful tool for students to get career advice, access events, grow their network, and take advantage of their university’s career resources.

If you have access through your college or university, making a Handshake account and filling out your profile can help you get started on your job search, at the very least.

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