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Secrets to Skills: How to use your Handshake Skills section to stand out

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Did you know? Employers can search for specific skills when screening applicants on Handshake. They are potentially looking at hundreds of candidates’ profiles and resumes, and there can be a lot of competition, so you need to find ways to stand out among the crowd. The skills section is one place in Handshake where you can centralize what you’re good at, and use the key words that employers are looking for.

Start by taking a self-inventory by going through each work, internship or volunteer experience on your resume and write down the skills used in each position. Think about hobbies as well, because a Computer Science major who has a side video editing business, can also list “Adobe Premiere Pro” and “Quickbooks.” [Please do not add amateur hobbies, however if you have professional experience, then by all means, market yourself!]

Then, decide which from your list of skills are most related to the types of jobs you’re applying for. You can look at job descriptions for positions that interest you to know what kinds of skills they’re seeking. There’s no need to list every skill you have. Aim for fifteen or less.

Lastly, be truthful and don’t over-exaggerate. The last thing that you want is to be in an interview where you are not competent at the skills that you’ve claimed to have!

Here are three resources you can use to begin building your Skills Section. And of course, come visit us in the Career Center if you have questions and would like to schedule an appointment.

RESOURCES:

https://www.thebalance.com/employment-skills-listed-by-job-2062389 This article features hundreds of occupations. When you select one from the list, you’ll be taken to a page that specifically lists skills for that type of position. This is an excellent starting point.

https://www.linkedin.com/directory/topics-a/ This is a great resource in LinkedIn. This directory lists hundreds of options, and once you click on a specific skill—“Adobe Photoshop” for example— it will show you what top companies are using this skill. At the bottom of the section it shows “Top Skills,” which are similar and related skills, so that could be another place to see what might be relevant to add.

https://www.thebalance.com/top-skills-to-list-on-linkedin-2062321 Here’s a list from LinkedIn that are the most popular skills that employers seek.

9 Ways to Make Your Handshake Profile Work for You!

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Text: 9 Ways to make Your Handshake Profile Work for youWhen it comes to job searching, the process can feel daunting and overwhelming. While networking and connecting in “real life” is highly effective for landing a job, there are many other great tools and platforms to help you in the job searching process. Handshake is one of these fantastic tools as UP’s new career portal―offering internships and jobs for both students and alumni. From education-focused nonprofits in Portland, to Fortune 500 Companies and everything in between, opportunities are waiting for you! To increase your success in connecting with employers, here are 9 ways that you can complete and improve your profile to tell your story.

  1. Add an appropriate photo. Profiles are 7x more likely to be viewed when there is a photo, as opposed to leaving it blank. Make sure that you are alone [and not just cropped out of a group] and dressed professionally.
  2. Upload resume / documents. Shake Tip: You can build your profile from your resume. Handshake will fill in various sections of your Handshake Profile based off of your resume. You just need to approve what it selects.
  3. Maximize your work experience. Include all work experience, and think about how to frame any transferrable skills if you haven’t had a lot of “professional” experience yet. Focus less on the actual tasks performed, and more on the process of how you went about the tasks. For example, working in retail sales demonstrates communication with a wide variety of clients, conflict resolution, proactive problem solving, influencing, professionalism and work ethic, cash balancing and reporting, just to name a few things.
  4. Demonstrate engagement. The organizations/extracurricular section is the chance to show that you’re not only a student and an employee, but that you are multifaceted and engaged member of the community. From volunteering and service plunges, to writing for the Beacon, to being an athlete, each of these experience shines light on who you are and what you have to offer.
  5. Highlight courses. Based on the sector of work you’re applying for, add relevant coursework that demonstrates knowledge and expertise on a variety of topics.
  6. Show off completed projects. Take ownership of projects that show creativity, research ability, and initiative. Think about what kinds of projects you worked on during your internship. How about your senior thesis? Did you create anything interesting in the Innovation Lab? What about lesson plans or curriculum development during your teaching practicum? Be proud to share your accomplishments!
  7. Write a captivating bio. This is a chance to shine by concisely and confidently describing your qualifications and your goals [no longer than a paragraph]. Employers will likely look at other parts of your profile, so this section can provide a unique insight to your goals and personality that will not be mentioned in other sections. Depending on your field of work, you could highlight your experience, your mission, your personality, your accomplishments, or a blend of all of the above. Check out this article for some examples.
  8. Select personalized skills. Recruiters and employers may be searching for students on Handshake with keywords related to the skills they’re looking for. Find relevant skills in position descriptions for the types of roles that you want.
  9. Add relevant social links. This is another opportunity to highlight professional engagement and activities to further tell your story. You should not add your personal social media accounts. But if you have a side photography business—add that Instagram account! If you’re a videographer with a reel or some work to share, link to your Vimeo account! Shake Tip: To add your LinkedIn profile, select “Add Your Own,” title it: LinkedIn, and then add your profile URL [found on right hand side of LinkedIn under “Contact and Personal Info”].

To learn more about how to utilize Handshake as a tool in your job searching process, schedule an appointment with the Career Center. We’re happy to show you how to use it in order to find your next dream internship or job!

I’ve been there: A comprehensive list for getting by

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By Emily Neelon, Communication, Class of 2017

 

  • Go to the Career Center. I may be biased because I’ve worked here since the first week of my freshman year, but I can’t tell you how many times the counselors have done me solid, from encouraging me to apply for a job I didn’t think I was qualified for to showing me how to use Linkedin because what do you even do on LinkedIn. Plus everyone is friendly and specifically there to help answer these kinds of questions.
  • Study Abroad. You will be a stronger, more resilient person after spending the night in the airport (more times than not) and staying awake for 24 hours straight in a foreign city and sleeping in a shed in some dude’s backyard in outer London that you rented on AirBnB. You will see a kind of beauty you didn’t know existed. You will eat very sketchy noodles in a combination Chinese and pizza restaurant. You will never be physically or emotionally prepared for the weather. You will feel incredibly homesick. But, you will feel incredibly independent. You will see things and feel things and know things you won’t find in a classroom.
  • Land an internship. You will learn so much more than just how to make or deliver or drink coffee. I don’t know if there’s anything more disheartening than searching for “internships in Portland” on Google. The Career Center agrees, so they provide us with collegecentral.com. Make an account and search for jobs and internships employers post specifically seeking UP students.
  • Go on a Moreau Center Immersion. Immersions range from a few days to a few weeks during our Fall, Winter, and Spring breaks and are a really sweet opportunity to educate yourself about and get physically involved with different social issues.
  • Master the art of email. Email is one of many constant adult tasks, like paying your utilities bill, that you can’t avoid forever. It’s super important to know how to send a message that simultaneously says “Please take me seriously,” and “What I have to say is important”.
  • Go to office hours. My freshman year, I was completely lost in my Intro to Stats class. Bi-modal curves. Chi-squared tests. Regression analysis. I still can’t tell you what any of these things mean, because I never went to my professor for help. If you have no idea what’s going on in class, it can get so much worse if you don’t meet up with your professor to talk about it.
  • Network without networking. The Career Center and other organizations on campus sponsor panel discussions throughout the school year. These events are a great way to meet and ask questions of individuals successfully working in different industries (without having to go to a networking event). Check our calendar for upcoming events.

Bonus tips:

  • It’s ok to eat alone in the Commons.
  • For every class you hate, there will be two classes you love.
  • It’s ok to be unsure, because everyone is unsure.

On The Blog

"As a UP grad, naturally I want to do great things and change the world and all that, but changing the world probably still involves lots of email."

Website management and design by Emily Neelon, Class of 2017