Find out how Handshake will benefit your job or internship search…

BY ANGELIQUE ARINTOK, STAFF WRITER

On Thursday, Sept. 6, the HUB Ballroom was crowded with students at the Handshake Launch Party, hosted by University Career Services.

New to Mason, Handshake recently launched as the main career resource tool students can use on their mobile devices or laptops. Switching gears from the previous job-search database, University Career Services is implementing Handshake for the ease and accessibility of networking with professionals and fellow students.

No matter what career field you are in, there are employers from a mix of locations, organizations and industries who post both job and internship postings on the newly-implemented career tool.

“The benefit of Handshake is what you put in…the more you are an active job seeker, the more it’s a beneficial tool,” Philip Wilkerson, manager of industry advising and employer development for creative majors, said.

All students enrolled at Mason already have a Handshake account. Using Patriot Pass login credentials, completing a profile only takes a few minutes. Upon login, Handshake will help the student customize and refine his or her account by asking various career preferences and questions.

Attendees were welcomed with free food, refreshments and a photo booth. Guests could also go to stations to complete their profiles and practice handshakes. Among other campus celebrities invited, Student Body President Bekah Pettine was there to network with fellow Patriots at the “handshake” station.

“I think [Handshake] is a lot more personal and I really like that Mason is bringing it to campus,” Pettine said.

After seeing the launch party on a university event calendar, second-year graduate student Georgia Williams immediately caught interest.

“It’s a good opportunity to basically see what [Handshake] is all about,” Williams said.

Williams explained that she enjoys the database’s accessibility on mobile phones, and is looking forward to using it as a tool to search for jobs or internships in her line of studies.

Handshake is a tool that many other universities like Georgetown, UVA and GWU have already implemented. Available on careers.gmu.edu, Mason’s switch to this career resource tool brings functionality right to the students’ fingertips.