#GetHiredOnHandshake: Networking with Peers and Alumni

Hi Jumbos!

We are in our second to last week of the #GetHiredOnHandshake campaign! Time sure does fly. Have you downloaded the Handshake App yet? Have you completed your profile? Have you told all your friends to do the same?

Last week we talked about messaging employers, but did you know you can use Handshake to connect with peers and alums, too? Tufts students and alumni can be a great added resource to your job search and career development journey and can help you in many ways:

  • Getting honest reviews from peers who have interned at companies you’re interested in
  • Getting insider tips from alums with firsthand knowledge of a company’s culture, hiring practices, and more
  • Building your network which can lead to more professional opportunities over time

There are a few great ways to utilize the knowledge of your peers and alumni on Handshake: Direct messaging, Company Reviews, and Q&As.

 

๐Ÿ™‚ Direct messaging peers and alumniย 

In order to message with students and alumni, you must first make sure your privacy settings are set to Community. You can adjust your privacy settings anytime by navigating to the Settings & Privacy section of your profile.

 

If you know you want to utilize this network opportunity but aren’t sure where to begin, there are several options for finding peers to reach out to.

    • If you click on the Students tab in the toolbar at the top of your account, you’ll be able to search for students and alumni based on attributes like previous job titles they’ve had, student organizations they’ve been involved in, and more.
    • Anyone with a public profile who indicates they previously worked for a particular employer will show up on that employer’s profile page in Handshake – if you click to view that student/alumni’s profile, you’ll see a blue Message button under their profile if they’re open to messaging
    • If you have your eye on a certain company, you can identify students and alumni who have published a review about their experience working for a company (more on Company Reviews below!). You’ll see a gray Message button on the Review if that student/alumni is open to messaging

 

Know who you want to connect with but not sure what to say? Not to worry – Handshake makes the process less intimidating by allowing you to indicate exactly what you’re interested in learning about.

Professional Experience – Ask what it’s like to work for a particular company

Education Recommendations – Ask about a grad school or training program you’re interested in

Resume Advice – Ask about how you can best highlight your unique experiences when crafting your resume

Interview Advice – Ask about how you can best prepare for an upcoming interview

Reviews or Q&A – Ask a follow up question about a Review or a Q&A question that was answered

Other career related topic – Ask something else related to your career search!

 

๐Ÿ™‚ Reading and writing company reviews

Reviews are an opportunity for students to share feedback on internship experiences with other students and with their employer – think of it like Yelp for companies. Students are encouraged to provide honest, constructive feedback in your own voice, and you can edit, update, or delete your reviews at any time.

Reading reviews is a great way to explore careers and make decisions with more information, get advice specific to the companies and roles you may be interested in, and gain insight into company culture, mentorship, and learning (which are often harder to gauge in a job listing or company profile!)

 

๐Ÿ™‚ Q&A (Question and Answer)

Through Q&A, students can ask career-related questions and get answers from other students or alumni from any school. Questions can be asked publicly or anonymously. If you want to answer a question, you can do so fully visibly (displaying your full name, photo, school year, and major) or semi-anonymously (hiding your full name and photo, but displaying your school, school year, and major). Keeping some markers of identity visible is essential in this circumstance, as it gives context to the provided answers, establishing credibility and helping you to determine if an answer to a question is relevant to you.

You can find Q&A on your homepage, and on job and employer pages when relevant content is available.

Go out and start connecting with your peers today!

By Willa Mayo
Willa Mayo Recruiting Coordinator, Employer Relations