As Kent approaches the end of the first academic year after moving away from Flash@Work, Handshake has served to be an easy and user-friendly system for students, alumni and employers.

The premise and lots of the functionality of Handshake and Flash@Work are the same. Students can upload resumes, cover letters and writing samples.

Handshake is a more user-friendly and intuitive system, said Robin Pijor, associate director of employer relations for Career Exploration and Development.

“It’s not frustrating. It’s not confusing,” Pijor said.

There is a navigation bar in Handshake with keywords to make it easier for users to find what they need. The site also contains a lot of one-click search buttons especially for jobs, she said. If students want to find on-campus jobs, all they need to do is type “on-campus” jobs and they can see a listing of jobs available.

Students can search for employers, internships, jobs and events on the site. They can search an event by date and event name. Students can also search available internship and job opportunities and sort by the date they were posted by employers.

Flash@Work was difficult to navigate and it was not clear how to get to certain things, said Abigail Schroeder, a fashion merchandising and marketing senior. The filters had lot of steps to go through before finding a company that’s hiring your major, she said.

“With Handshake, the set-up is more like LinkedIn,” Schroeder said.

The format, she said, is familiar. It is easy to use and the filters are clear. There are less steps and it makes the process of finding internships or jobs less intimidating.

Schroeder said she liked the profile and how navigation felt similar to a social media website. Students can set up how they want employers to see them, and students can view the employers attending specific events, and the jobs they have open.

With one or two clicks, students can update their profiles, Pijor said. Handshake labels the profiles of its users with a rating of the profile’s strength. Students can easily add information to their profile before applying for a job if their profile strength is deemed low.

A destination survey feature can be found in Handshake for students after they graduate. This feature helps the CED office collect important data, something they couldn’t do with Flash@Work.

Students can access Handshake via Flashline and log in with their credentials. Another way is to visit the CED website and go to Handshake on the navigation bar. Students who need help with the site can visit the CED office to speak to advisors.

Margaret Baah covers jobs and money. Contact her at [email protected]