Story by Allison Boggan, Staff writer
Graphic by Savannah Jane Walton/The News
Murray State has joined Handshake, a career management platform that allows students and alumni opportunities to network and explore prospective career paths.
This service works by allowing employers to post internships or other on- and off-campus job opportunities. Handshake can be operated from any smartphone or computer, enabling students and alumni to create profiles, upload resumes and search and apply for listed positions.
Throughout 2017-2018, Career Services identified a service deficiency when it came to their former job platform. It was hard to use, difficult to log in, relied on outdated technology and didn’t run very well on mobile devices.
In September 2017, they began chatting with multiple providers and after about six months of research, elected to migrate to Handshake as their new career management platform. It had all the features Career Services was looking for in an easy-to-use and attractive package.
Matthew Purdy, director of Career Services, explained how Handshake is beneficial to students and how convenient the platform is to use. Some of the improvements include an easier-to-use interface, an SSO gateway and mobile accessibility.
“Handshake also allows students to tailor their profile for their specific career search, and they can receive ‘recommended positions’ from the system automatically,” Purdy said. “Netflix and Amazon have been doing this for years, and it’s great to have this feature for our students.”
According to Handshake’s Murray State web page, in addition to being the place where you can search and apply for internships, co-op, part-time and full-time jobs, Handshake can also be used to: upload resumes and complete online career profiles, make a resume and profiles viewable to employers, keep track of appointments with Career Services, view upcoming local and on-campus career events, research contact information for employers and apply for open positions.
Handshake connects students to a much wider array of employers than the old system, while still allowing them to connect with local employers in a consistent and professional manner.
“First and foremost, it’s really, really easy to use. It’s intuitive and supports mobile devices extremely well,” Purdy said. “Students can now manage their on-campus interview schedules within the platform, and they can even schedule appointments with Career Services through Handshake.”
Gill Welsch, advertising professor and internship coordinator, requires students in his senior seminar to use Handshake.
“I’m excited that Murray State has a tool as powerful as this one, as students start to graduate this should help them locate job opportunities and make the transition from college to career much simpler,” Welsch said. “Handshake helps put students in direct contact with companies and companies in direct contact with students. It’s a great program and everyone should get involved as there are potential jobs available for every field of study.”
Access to Handshake is available by visiting murraystate.joinhandshake.com.