Start Using Handshake at Indiana University

Graduate and undergraduate students at Indiana University Bloomington have Handshake accounts linked to the IU system. Login at indiana.joinhandshake.com with your IU username and passphrase.

Alumni who’ve graduated within the past three years need to request a Handshake account. Further instructions will be sent after requesting the account. Please check the Junk folder in your email.

#1: Upload your resume.

Did you know that you can upload your resume and your Handshake profile will auto-pull tons of information? Save yourself the effort of writing information multiple times; upload your resume before adding anything else to your profile! Then you’ll only have to fill in any blanks.

Either upload your resume OR manually add the information. Don’t do both!

#2: Fill out your job preferences.

That means selecting desired locations where you’d like to work, preferred job roles, and your ideal job type: part-time, full-time, internship, or on-campus.

#3: Add experience to your profile.

Add any volunteering, internships, or work that you’ve already completed to your profile. This allows prospective employers to see your previous (or current) responsibilities.

#4: Fill out past courses and special skills.

Pull up your academic record and fill out specific courses, skills, and talents that could be relevant to your future career. This will help give prospective employers a better idea of the special stuff you have to offer their organization!

#5: Add a Picture.

This isn’t a must for landing a job, but a photo can help put a face to your name — this is particularly useful if you’ve made a connection with a recruiter on campus at a career fair or event. Use the directions for scheduling a career coaching appointment to get a professional portrait taken at the Walter Center.

#1: Follow five interesting employers.

Explore different organizations and companies on Handshake and follow them for updates. Often, recruiters check who is following them — it can help you get on their radar and ensure you get first alerts for new opportunities!

#2: Message three peers with professional experience you admire.

Use Handshake to build connections by messaging peers. Reach out to alumni from your school, people who have previously held internships you’re interested in, and more.

#3: Ask one question about a company, job role, or specific opportunity.

There are so many knowledgeable folks on Handshake — hit them with some of your questions about specific career paths, organizations, or opportunities!

#4 Apply to five jobs that interest you.

This is self-explanatory. Now that you’re a Handshake super-user, make sure to apply for jobs and internships!

There you have it: you’re a Handshake pro. We can’t wait to help you find your next job, internship, or professional opportunity!

Employers are able to find and view your profile only when you make it visible to them. So help employers find you! Make it public so you’ll show up when they’re searching for students to recruit for jobs and internships. You can also make your profile visible to other students, so you can connect with them for advice, or help them.

Don’t worry—your profile will not be public to employers that have not been approved by the Walter Center, or to anyone without a Handshake account.

These directions assume you’ve logged in before and have filled out your profile information. If not, refer to the directions above.

Open Handshake to Make Appointment

1. Click on “Career Center” in the top right corner.
2. Choose “Appointments” and then click “Schedule a New Appointment.”
3. Choose “Walter Center for Career Achievement.”
   (If you want to explore degree programs outside the College, choose “Learn more about careers in other IUB Schools.”)
4. Choose a topic first, and then select your preferred time, date, career coach, and appointment medium.
5. Confirm your appointment details and type a short note to your career coach detailing what you’d like to talk about in your appointment.
6. Click the green “Request” button and you’re done! You’ll be emailed confirmation to your IU email address.

These directions assume you’ve logged in before and have filled out your profile information. If not, refer to the directions above.

Open Handshake Find an Event

1. Sign in at indiana.joinhandshake.com
2. Click on “Events”
3. Click on “Career Fair” next to the search bar, scroll down to browse, or use the filters to narrow down types of events.
4. Choose the career fair or event you’d like to attend.
5. Click the blue “RSVP for Event” or “Register” button on the right-hand side of the page.
6. Done! You’ll recieve a confirmation email from Handshake — be sure to take a look for further instructions!

Handshake’s Guide to Attending a Virtual Career Fair

Create Your Search

1. Click Jobs in the upper-left corner of the screen.
2. This will load to the job search page. For more information on using the filters on this page, refer to Searching for Jobs and Internships.
3. Once you’ve selected the desired filters, if you want to receive alerts when more jobs like this are posted, you’ll have to save this search.

Note: Remember by saving your search, you are only saving the criteria for the search, not the data the search yielded. The jobs meeting the criteria of your saved search could easily change from day to day.

Save Your Search

1. Select at least one search filter or criteria
2. Click on Save your search, above the list of jobs on the left of the page.
   Note: If you save a search that does not have a keyword, Handshake will default to naming the search according to the criteria you used.
3. A pop-up will load in the lower-right corner of the page that confirms Created Job Alert.

The box with Save your search will now provide a link to Edit your notifications.

Edit a Job Alert and Notifications Preferences

You can edit the title of a search or change notification settings for alerts through notification settings in your account.

1. Click on your account icon (where your initials or picture is) in the upper-right corner of the page and click on Notifications.
2. Click on Edit Notification Preferences in the upper-middle of the page.
3. The Job Alerts section will populate on the left side of the page, with each of the saved searches listed.
   
4. Click on the alert status under the search title to edit the details, then click Save in the lower-right corner of the pop-up to save changes.

Please note: a max of 25 jobs will be displayed in the email notification sent to you. We recommend logging and clicking on your Saved Search to view the rest! 

• Work experience: Have you had a part-time job, internship, work study, research position or volunteered? Employers like to see that you’ve taken on responsibility, and that these experiences have helped you develop valuable skills.
• Skills: Add technical skills like SQL and soft skills like communication. The more skills you list, the better your chances are of showing up in an employer search.
• Clubs and organizations: These highlight your unique interests and involvement on campus.