An Employer Message from Handshake — What does it mean?

Congrats! You’ve been contacted by an employer on Handshake. Now what?
Last year employers sent more than 16 million messages to students on Handshake. So, chances are good that you’ll eventually be contacted by an employer on Handshake if you haven’t been already. Are you ready for when this happens?

Employers routinely peruse the Handshake database to find qualified students who appear to be a good fit for the internships and full-time jobs they are seeking to fill. Students are often surprised to learn that employers are trying to win you over just as much as you are trying to convince them that you are the most qualified candidate for their jobs.

If you want to get discovered on Handshake, the first thing you need to do is create an effective and thorough Handshake profile – similar to your LinkedIn profile.

“The 10-Day Handshake Profile Challenge” can help you get motivated and create a compelling profile that gets noticed. Once you have done this, switch your profile to public; however, while your profile is a work in progress, make sure to keep it private. Now sit back and let the magic happen!

Employers reach out to students for a number of reasons: to invite you to a career event they’re hosting, to encourage you to apply for an internship or job, or to help you learn more about their company.

When a recruiter reaches out to you, make sure to respond promptly whether you want to move forward with the opportunity or decline it.

Why? You don’t know what future opportunities that employer might have and you might encounter that same recruiter again at a different company. Make sure your responses are professional, positive and polite and always say “thank you!” 

What if you’re not interested in the opportunity?

Still follow the rules above and say something like, “Thank you for reaching out with this great opportunity. Although this isn’t quite what I’m looking for at this point in my career, I would be happy to hear of future opportunities with your firm.” If the organization is totally out of your career scope, then simply say, “Thank you for reaching out to me with this great opportunity. Unfortunately, it does not align with my current career interests and goals.”

By following the tips above, you’ll soon be noticing those employer Handshake notifications flowing into your inbox! Who knows? One of them just might be from your dream company or about your dream job.

Not sure if you’re getting messages? Check your privacy settings on Handshake! Learn more about how you can configure your settings on the platform to best suit your needs here.

By Deborah Federico, Career Coach, Career Education