Revolutionize Your Job Search with Handshake and LinkedIn
Rebecca Carlson
Career & Industry Program Manager
FIRST…..
Know who you are and what you want!! What is your BRAND?
Start with Your Personal Brand
What is a Brand?
Your personal brand is how you present yourself to potential employers.
What should it include?
It reflects your skills, values, and professional identity
Why Have One?
A strong personal brand can set you apart in a competitive job market
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Sample: "As an Electrical and Computer Engineering student at the University of Washington, I’m passionate about applying machine learning to solve complex challenges in aerospace. With hands-on experience in neural networks, embedded systems, and data-driven modeling, I thrive at the intersection of innovation and precision. I’m driven by a curiosity for flight systems and autonomous technologies, and I’m actively seeking opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge aerospace projects that leverage AI for enhanced performance and safety."
Create Your Brand
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Take a minute to create your “brand”
HANDSHAKE
Handshake
is the #1 way college students find jobs
Join today and get recruited by the top employers for full-time, part-time jobs, and internships
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Why should you use Handshake?
Get hired
Discover and land jobs and internships.
Get discovered
Get messaged by employers that want to hire you.
Get connected
Connect with employers and learn more about their company.
Respond to Email!
Actual employers may be emailing you. Respond if interested!
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Get hired
Where do you want to go?
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750k
employers of all shapes and sizes
100%
of the Fortune 500
Employers are actively searching for students
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250k+
searches for students per month
Jobs and internships
for every path
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1.5m
jobs and internships in every industry over the past year
50
states
165
countries
Business & Finance
Technology
Retail
Education & Non-profit
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Why are students on Handshake?
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Get discovered
3 must-haves
on your
Handshake profile
Employers find you based on the career interests in your Handshake profile. Interests include:
Job type: Do you want an internship, part-time job, or full-time job?
Location: Which cities do you want to work in?
Job roles: Select the types of jobs you want, like marketing associate or data analyst.
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Make sure to update this if you change majors
You can NOT get discovered if you don’t have a completed profile!!
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Do these three things to get noticed:
Make sure to add a headshot photo to your profile. Like LinkedIn, profiles with photos get 7x more views than those without one.
Photo
Experience
Skills
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It is crucial that you not only have added your work experience, but that you are incorporating key words from job postings into those descriptions.
What are the skills employers are looking for in your chosen field? If you have those, make sure to add them to your profile. You will want to continue to build this section over time
Get connected
Attend an event
Browse upcoming sessions on the “Events” page or check out our recommendations for you on the Handshake homepage.
Tips
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Be Curious!
Did you know you can Connect directly with the Company via Events?
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ACTIVITY
MAKE SURE TO ATTEND THE EVENTS!!!
Message
an employer
Get the inside scoop on the job you want by messaging an employer first!
Tips
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Check your Handshake email!
Yes, you have a separate email box in Handshake!
Click on your Inbox
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Typical Emails You May See
Apply for our Job!
Attend our Information Session
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TIPS FOR EMAIL
You should check your Handshake Inbox once a week
If an employer reaches out to you to invite you to a webinar and you can’t attend, email them back!
Yes, many employers are often reaching out to lots of students with the same email. But most students never respond, so why not stand out by responding?
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Other Tips
Additional Pointers….
Keep it Current
Keep an Open Mind
Follow Employers
By following employers, you will stay updated on their events. Again, it’s best to select a wide variety of them.
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LINKEDIN�TIPS AND�TRICKS
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Have a Professional Profile Picture
Do you still have your undergraduate photo as your picture? If so, time for an update!
Profiles with a photo are 21x more likely to be ‘seen’ by a recruiter
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UW has a FREE headshot booth available to ALL students in the Career & Internship Center in Mary Gates Hall
Write a Strong Headline
Do NOT simply just put you are a UW grad student!
Be concise, keyword-rich, and accurately reflect your professional identity and career goals
Use this Formula:
[ Role/Profession] | [Primary Skills/Areas of Expertise] | [Unique Value] | [Notable Achievement] | [Personal Passion or Career Goal
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Examples of Strong Headlines
Machine Learning Enthusiast | UW ECE Professional Master's | Bridging Theory & Real-World AI Applications
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Future AI Innovator | Electrical & Computer Engineering @ UW | Exploring Robotics, ML & Edge Computing
Aspiring ML Engineer | UW ECE Master's Student | Passionate About AI for Autonomous Systems
Be Descriptive!
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Algorithm Impacts
Engagement Signals�
Quality Content
Connection strength
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Things to do to Increase Your Visibility
Build your network by connecting with fellow students, faculty and staff
Identify the companies you are interested in and follow them. Then try to connect with alumni and recruiters in those companies
Engage! Comment on friend’s post, share interesting stories with your own comments, etc.
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BE �STRATEGIC!!
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Avoid “Robo-Applying!”
Identify Industries of Interest
Make Connections
Be Focused and Build Your Network
A focused strategy on building relationships will work better for you in the long run!
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QUESTIONS?
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