Monmouth University has teamed up with Handshake, a new career management platform, to assist students in discovering new career pathways and securing exceptional jobs and internships. Handshake is now the most popular job-search platform for college students and is used by over 400,000 employers to attract current college students and recent graduates for almost any job.
Beth Ricca, Monmouth’s Executive Director of Career Development, explained the process of switching from utilizing Hawks Career Link to Handshake. “When I started as the Executive Director of Career Development in August 2021, we reviewed the technology platforms offered through our office” she said. After analyzing the usage data for Hawks Career Link, I wanted a platform that would give Monmouth students and alumni access to a larger scope of employers, both locally and nationally.”
Ricca continued, “As Handshake is the gold standard for college recruiting, we decided to make the transition and couldn’t be happier with the move. Where Hawks Career Link had about 500 active employers and 2K posting annually, in the two months we’ve been using Handshake, we already have 3K+ active employers and 11K+ postings for MU students and alumni.”
One of the most significant advantages of having a Handshake profile, according to Ricca, is that students who complete their profiles and choose to make them public are five times more likely to be contacted by employers than students who leave their profiles incomplete.
When employers look at these Handshake profiles, they can get a full picture of the students’ past and present experience. Recruiters may examine students’ academics, extracurricular activities, projects, and other activities.
Ricca added that Handshake not only increases access to internships and full-time jobs but has other benefits as well. This platform allows students to make appointments with a career coach, find and register for career events, connect with employers and peers at colleges nationwide, and receive resume and cover letter review virtually.
Handshake, as stated by Ricca, is an excellent internship/career resource that is simple to use. She strongly encourages all students of all class years and majors to use it.
Leah Frain, a graduate student majoring in strategic public relations with a social media concentration, shared her thoughts on Monmouth partnering with Handshake. She said, “I think the University switching to Handshake as their career platform is a beneficial change. Students now have the opportunity to connect with internal and external professional opportunities. It’s a secure way to locate jobs, connect with professionals, and attend virtual events.”
As a student, Frain claims that Handshake has introduced her to hundreds of different companies in her field, and that she plans to use the platform to learn and grow in her professional career.
Every day, businesses message students on Handshake with event invitations, interview requests, and new job prospects, according to the Handshake blog. The same blog also mentioned that last year, recruiters sent over 16 million communications to students via Handshake, providing them with a personalized connection to the top companies hiring at their institution.
John Papagni, a sophomore communication and psychology student, said, “I believe that Monmouth shifting to handshake is a great opportunity to get their feet wet with building a resume they can use in the future. I know Handshake will benefit me as a student by tracking my accomplishments and work to establish my credibility.”
Ricca expressed the excitement she feels about the University collaborating with Handshake, and hopes to see growth inside the institution as a result of the increased opportunities for students and alumni to find jobs and internships.
She concluded with one sentence to define Handshake, “It is the #1 college recruiting platform for internships and full-time positions providing comprehensive career development support and resources for all MU students and alumni.”
