In 2014, students across the globe found a new entry into the world of jobs and Internships as Handshake released worldwide. Handshake, aims to provide college students with the opportunity to find employers and make connections through a rich database of job listings and an in-depth direct messaging system. In addition to the ability to view a large number of job postings in many fields, users have the opportunity to create a profile for themselves compiled of their qualifications, interests, resume, and other documents of relevance to employers. These profiles are then made public for employers to view and reach out to students through an in-app messaging system.
Employer messages often provide links to the job, internship, or event they are promoting so that students can click on them and easily understand the exact specifications of the presented opportunity.
Ehthemoo Po, an undergrad student at an American liberal arts college and user on Handshake reflected on her experience with the app, saying that, “I receive more DMs or messages like ‘hey Ehthemoo, you’d be really great fit for this position’ from employers than on other apps. It’s [Handshake] a little more personal when it comes to employers messaging you about jobs, I get messages from various jobs such as the Army and the Navy and others that I wouldn’t find elsewhere.” This sentiment was echoed by Jonathan Rueffer, another undergrad student at a different American liberal arts college, who stated, “Yes… Handshake [sends jobs] that I otherwise would not know about.” Po’s and Rueffer’s experiences are reflective of the app’s mission to promote careers often not accessible in other locations for college students. This mission is made more evident as Handshake CEO, Garret Lord, describes the service on the app and the website’s About us page, as an excellent jumping point from which new careers spring: “This is the Handshake early career network — the new place for careers.”
Handshake additionally includes a social feature entitled, Feed, where users can interact with one another and make connections. This Feed is compiled with a plethora of postings from users sharing their individual experiences and accomplishments through posts and comments — a social networking feature that allows users to not only connect with others, but find inspiration in various career fields through the viewing of others’ experiences.
Despite this feature’s role as the first page to appear when users open the app, some have expressed the belief that Handshake’s Feed and networking feature should not be one of the app’s primary focuses. Po stated, “It seems like Handshake is trying to be LinkedIn, we’re just looking for jobs. LinkedIn is for developing connections, Handshake or Indeed are better for finding jobs.” Some users even find themselves unaware of this feature in its entirety, such as Rueffer who said, “I will be completely frank and say, ‘I did not know that [the feed] existed’” — a reality lending to the idea that many individuals use Handshake for its job finding opportunities rather than its networking features. Despite these mixed sentiments of confusion and reluctance towards the feature, users have the ability to bypass the Feed screen and go straight to viewing jobs or messages with an easily accessible in-app navigation system.
Since 2014, Handshake has provided students with an incredibly effective look and entry into the job market. The service grants users the ability to meet and connect with employers and opportunities that otherwise may not have been considered; a quality exemplary of Handshake’s mission to serve as an early gateway into the world of professionalism and careers.
