Oregon State University Career Guide - Flipbook - Page 35
Handshake and LinkedIn
Handshake connects Oregon State University students and alumni to tens of
thousands of employers, jobs and internships, both locally and across the country.
Many of these employers search speci昀椀cally for Oregon State students.
LinkedIn is the premier platform for creating and maintaining your professional
online presence. You can communicate with connections, expand your network and
search for opportunities.
OPTIMIZING YOUR PRESENCE ON HANDSHAKE
» All OSU students have a Handshake account. Log in with your ONID at
oregonstate.joinhandshake.com.
» Complete your pro昀椀le with relevant experience, quali昀椀cations and skills. Think of it
as an online résumé.
» Under Settings, within the Privacy section, select the option that allows employers
to view and 昀椀nd your pro昀椀le, then click Save Update.
» Go to Noti昀椀cations and edit your preferences so you know when employers are
reaching out.
LINKEDIN BEST PRACTICES
» Select Edit Public Pro昀椀le and URL to create a custom URL related to your name.
» Connect with people you meet at career fairs, workshops or other networking
opportunities within 24 hours.
» When connecting with someone, send a personalized message with your invitation.
Hi Xiomara, I am a senior studying mechanical engineering at Oregon State, and I’m
looking to enter the aerospace industry. I noticed you are an OSU alumna working in
this industry. I would love to connect with you and learn more about your career path.
Thanks in advance! — Phuong Quynh
» Follow organizations and in昀氀uencers that align with your values and goals.
» Stay active in your network and share, like and comment on posts you 昀椀nd
interesting.
NETWORKING WITH ALUMNI
» LinkedIn alumni search: Search for Oregon State University’s LinkedIn page and
click on the Alumni tab. Then search for your major or program by keyword. You
can see where alumni from your program are working, follow their careers, make a
list of possible companies and send messages to connect with them. Your a昀케liation
with other Beavers might open the door to a great opportunity.
» OSU Connections: OSUConnections.org is a professional networking platform
just for Beavers. Use it to browse job listings posted by alums and create
connections with alumni in your industry.
CREATING YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE
LINKEDIN SECTIONS
STEP-BY-STEP
Pro昀椀le headline: State who you are, your
昀椀eld of study/industry and what you
want to do.
Spanish and sociology double major, vice
president of the OSU Language Club,
seeking a communications internship.
Pro昀椀le photo: Dress in industryappropriate attire with a plain or natural
background.
Summary: Be concise and con昀椀dent
about your quali昀椀cations and goals, using
industry-relevant keywords.
In my three years at Oregon State
University, I have been active in
intercultural student organizations. My
education and experiences have inspired
me to pursue a career with nonpro昀椀ts,
speci昀椀cally working with Latinx
communities.
Education: Include all higher education,
including community college if
applicable. List major(s)/minor(s),
expected graduation date, extracurricular
activities and organizations. Optional:
Mention honors and awards, GPA or
scores on tests like GMAT/LSAT.
Experience: Include past and current
work experiences, leadership positions,
military service and volunteer roles,
highlighting accomplishments using
active verbs.
Skills and Expertise: Include keywords
and phrases recruiters search for. Add at
least 昀椀ve skills relevant to roles you’re
interested in.
Endorsements and Recommendations:
Ask supervisors and mentors to endorse
you for the skills listed on your pro昀椀le. Try
to collect at least one recommendation
for each position you have held.
CAREER GUIDE
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