Handshake Newsletter

Tutorials, data, and updates for staff and faculty at the University of Minnesota.

Career Services Administration brings you the ‘Handshake at the University of Minnesota,' a monthly newsletter for student-facing staff or simply staff who want to know more about Handshake from the student perspective. Each month there will be a Resource Highlight (resources for staff, coaches, and advisors), Product Feature (tips for helping students strategically use HS), and Handshake by the Numbers (showcase of data available to us through HS and a how-to on accessing the data).

Please send any questions about Handshake to your college/campus superuser, and any questions related to this newsletter to Jessica Hoarn, [email protected] .

*Handshake was previously referred to as GoldPASS powered by Handshake. You may see the term GoldPASS still used in some videos, training material, and in past editions of the newsletter.

      

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August 2023

Incorporating Handshake in the Classroom  
Our goal is to give all students the chance to connect with the job search, networking, and research opportunities available on Handshake. To do so, we need the help of staff and faculty across the U.

Classroom Slide

Consider including these Handshake slides in your classroom presentations or share them with other colleagues/faculty.

Add Handshake to the Syllabus

Add the following blurb to your syllabus or require students to log in and complete their profile as an assignment for class:  
 

Handshake is the UMN’s official job/internship portal. Once you fill in your career interests, you’ll get personalized recommendations for jobs and events.

 

The Employer Profile  
Share the following video and/or text with students who would benefit from knowing more about the employer profile on Handshake!

How to Strategically Use the Employer Profile on Handshake:  

The employer profile on Handshake is different from other job search sites. It includes information that will give you a deeper insight into the company culture and help you prepare for interviews:
  • Students who have worked there: See a list of students who have worked at the organization and reach out directly through Handshake. Ask about company culture, what a position is truly like, and tips for success. You can filter the list for U of M students and students in your major.
  • Reviews: Get the inside scoop from other students who answer the questions What I liked, What I wish were different, and Advice.
  • Interviews: Prep for an interview by hearing from others What was the process like? and What's one question you were asked?
  • Tips and News: Dig further for your pre-interview research by looking at tips and news from the organization.
  • Q&A: See what other students have asked the organization and ask your own questions.
  • Public staff list: Message staff who purposely make themselves available for student questions. Handshake has some good tips for why and how to message employers.
Check out these examples: 3M, Alina Health  

*Extra tip: Use the 'alumni employer' label when searching for employers.
 

About the Data:  

The infographic below is a summarized version of the Who's Hiring dashboard in Handshake. In Handshake, the dashboard also includes:

  • a map of active postings
  • lists of employers with active postings
  • filtering options by industry and region

Feel free to share this with students or colleagues, add it to presentations or include it in follow up emails after meeting with students or employers.

*Data Collected on August 8th, 2023. Industry Growth chart shows year to date, year over year changes in posting numbers by industry in Handshake for the University of Minnesota.

How to Access This Data:
 

Go to Analytics under Data in the left navigation bar. Select the Dashboards tab at the top of the page and find the Who’s Hiring dashboard. Filter by time range, industry, and/or US region.  

*You will need a career services Handshake account with access to Analytics. Connect with your Handshake Superuser about setting up an account.  

Stay tuned! In following newsletters, we will continue to highlight data from Handshake and how to recreate the reports yourself.

September 2023

Links in This Issue

Intro to Handshake Student Presentation


Let students know how Handshake can help them in their career journey with this student presentation. You are welcome to make a copy and customize the slidedeck for your unit.

Request a Mock Student Handshake Account as a Staff Member


Advise students using a mock student account. If you're an alum, you already have access to Handshake as a student! Login using your UMN email.
 

Upcoming Handshake Training Session for Career Coaches


Join me (Jess Hoarn) on Monday, October 9, from 10am-11am, for a virtual Handshake session geared toward newer career coaches. I’ll be giving an overview of tips on advising students with Handshake with plenty of time for Q&A. Please RSVP here. I look forward to seeing you there!

Employer Booth Check-in

New this fall, students can check-in with employers at career fairs. Their check-in will be logged in their own Handshake account, and employers will see a list of students who visited their booth. Both students and employers can easily follow-up directly through Handshake. Share this quick video with students or download the promo image.

Video

Image

 

About the Data

The infographic below combines aspects of the Employer Relations dashboard and a report on most popular locations*. In Handshake, the Employer Relations dashboard also includes:

  • top industries and employers by a variety of metrics: student applications, application/job posting ratios, employer postings, career fair session attendance to name a few
  • employer approval history

Feel free to share this with students or colleagues, add it to presentations, or include it in follow up emails after meeting with students or employers.

*Data Collected on September 8th, 2023.

How to Access the Data

Employer Relations Dashboard:
Go to Analytics under Data in the left navigation bar. Select the Dashboards tab at the top of the page and find the Employer Relations dashboard. Filter by time range, industry, college, major, school year, and/or job role group.

Popular Locations Report:
*View the report here. Feel free to play around with this report! You won’t mess anything up, because it won’t override our version.

  • Go to Analytics under Data in the left navigation bar.
  • Select Create Report and Applications for Template type.
  • Count of Applications: Under All Fields to the left, expand the Applications section and select Count under Measures by clicking on ‘Count.’
  • Filter for Withdrawn? (Yes/No): In the Applications section, hover over Filter for Withdrawn? (Yes/No) and select the three bars that appear to the right. In the ‘Filters’ section in the middle of the page, select Applications Withdrawn? is No.
  • Job locations: Go back to All Fields on the left and expand the Job Locations section. Click on ‘City,’ ‘State,’ and ‘Country.’
  • (Optional) Filter by college or major: Expand either the Student College (at Application Time) section or the Student Majors section. Hover over Name and select the three bars that appear to the right. Go to the Filters section in the middle of the page and filter for your college or major(s) of interest.
*You will need a career services Handshake account with access to Analytics. Connect with your Handshake Superuser about setting up an account.

October 2023

Links in This Issue

Handshake Marketing Toolkit

Promote Handshake with our UMN Handshake media kit, which includes print and digital material such as fliers, postcards, and digital signage. Handshake also has a marketing toolkit for customizable social media content, videos, posters, and flyers. Note: the latter content is generic and not UMN branded.

Recording of Coach Training Session

Watch the recording of the Handshake training session for career coaches to explore tips on advising students with Handshake.

5 Handshake Job Searching Tips

Share these tips with students! You can find additional resources to share on handshake.umn.edu.

*Data Collected on October 16th, 2023.

Pre-built Analytics for Your Fall Fair:

How to Use Pre-built Analytics:

  • Option 1: Filter the report for your fair and download the results. Please do not select 'Confirm changes' to any modifications you make to the main report template.
  • Option 2: Make a copy of the report by going to Options and Duplicate. Make any modifications you would like and select Confirm Changes to save the report for your unit.

*Make sure to filter the report for your fair.*

How to filter by fair: Filter for your career fair by expanding the Career Fair tab in the Explore section and filtering Name by hovering over Name and selecting the three lines that appear to the right. Then go over to Filters and enter your career fair name.

Tip: Find all pre-built reports by going to Analytics. Under School, in the filters section select either University of Minnesota for reports built by UMN staff or Handshake for Handshake’s pre-built reports.