If you’re a student looking for jobs, internships, or career connections, Handshake is your go-to platform. Whether you’re just starting your college journey or preparing to graduate, Handshake offers personalized job and internship recommendations, relevant employer events, and career-building tools tailored to your specific interests and goals. But are you using it to its full potential?

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your Handshake account:

1. Complete Your Profile

The more information you include, the better your job and internship matches will be. Add your major, graduation year, interests, relevant experience, and skills. Handshake uses this information to recommend jobs and events that are aligned with your career goals.

2. Upload Your Resume

Having a resume uploaded to your profile allows you to more easily apply to opportunities. It also makes it easier for employers to find you during their own candidate searches.

3. Explore and Follow Employers

Handshake gives you access to thousands of employers, many of whom are specifically looking to recruit students from UMBC. Follow companies you’re interested in so you can stay updated on their events, job postings, and application deadlines. Go to the “Explore” tab on Handshake and follow the UMBC collections that are applicable to your interests.

4. Attend Events and Fairs

Career fairs, information sessions, and workshops (in person and virtual) are all listed under the "Events” tab. Attending these not only helps you learn about industries and employers but also puts your name in front of recruiters. You can search and filter events by sponsor — for example, hosted by UMBC or by employers.

5. Use Filters and Keywords

Speaking of filters, you can customize your job search using filters such as location, job type, and industry. Save searches and favorite roles you’re interested in, so you can come back to them later or get alerts when similar ones are posted. This can help reduce the amount of time you spend searching for opportunities in order to fully take advantage of them.

6. Activate Your Profile

Make your profile public so employers can reach out to you with opportunities. You can also create a public profile link and create an email signature to further your reach. Taking these additional steps increases your visibility and could lead to an unexpected offer or new connection.

7. Make an Appointment with Us

Need help with all this and more? You can use Handshake to schedule a 1:1 appointment with the Career Center. Not only can we help you search for jobs and internships via Handshake and other platforms, but we can also help you build your resume, prepare for interviews, apply for graduate school, and explore careers and majors of interest.

Ready to Get Started?

Don’t miss out on the tools and opportunities waiting for you. Sign up for a Handshake account today and start exploring the platform — your future career connections are just a few clicks away!