Applying for an on-campus job this year will be easy as clicking submit.
The career services office is working with student employers to simplify the job search process through Handshake, an online platform where students can apply for jobs, find internships, and register for meetings with career services. The application aggregates available opportunities and allows students to fill out their profile and upload their resume, using a standard form to help streamline applying for numerous positions.
“For students, Handshake enables them to filter and view all on-campus student employment positions, the job descriptions, desired skills and responsibilities, and who the point of contact is,” John Quint, assistant director of career services, said via email. “We think having all of this information in one place will greatly improve the on-campus student employment experience.”
Off-campus employers previously dominated Handshake’s job listings. Now, students can browse campus-wide openings from Bon Appétit Management Company, the athletic department, marketing, and more. They can also see the pay rate and necessary job qualifications. Students may submit their application right from the website.
“We received an overwhelmingly positive response from the faculty and staff as we shared the new process for posting jobs on Handshake,” Quint said. “We expect full employer participation within a few years.”
Many campus employers have already started the switch to Handshake. Aaron Tracey, assistant director of special projects in the admissions office, hires student ambassadors. Although he said using paper resumes was not difficult, it was a system that could be improved.
“Handshake is helpful because everything is all in one place,” Tracey said. “It’s all digital.”
Having a central application system streamlines applications for students, he added.
“They don’t have to submit all this information over and over again,” Tracey said. “They just have a profile within Handshake, so they can apply for more than one position easier.”
In the past, students found job opportunities through campus-wide emails and fliers and by word-of-mouth.
“Aside from the financial aid office’s efforts, no official process for creating, posting, or marketing jobs to students existed,” Quint said. “As a result, the information was fractured and students were oftentimes unaware of the available jobs on-campus.”
With the introduction of on-campus job listings to Handshake, students now have access to all available job listings. Students already employed on campus said they think this switch will make it easier for others to find the best jobs.
“I think it’s great they’re switching over to a streamlined system,” said sophomore Ryan Kelly Murphy, who works in A.J.’s Café. “In this day and age, it’s harder to keep track of lots of loose papers. When everything’s electronic, it’s more in-line with what our everyday lives are like.”
Handshake also has an iPhone application. But no matter how students access the system, it should make applying for a job easier, Quint said.
“The addition of on-campus student employment to Handshake should increase the activity and engagement on the platform,” Quint said. “We trust that the students will pick up Handshake quickly, if they haven’t already. They’re more tech-savvy than we are.”
