Streamlining Job Searches for Emerson Students, Alumni

Emerson students and alumni now have a clearer, easier, and more customizable way to search for jobs and internships.

This summer, the College switched from the LionHire job search function to Handshake (emerson.edu/handshake), a career development platform that looks and acts more like social media sites such as LinkedIn or Facebook, said Anders Croft, marketing communication specialist for Career Services.

Students and alumni will be able to integrate their personal social media accounts through Handshake, as well as create personal profiles where they can define their interests and career goals, making it easier for searchers and employers alike to match users with the best possible positions.

“There’s just a lot more opportunity for engagement,” Croft said.

After just three weeks of being live, there are around 1,500 employers loaded into the platform, with the heaviest concentrations in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, he said. The goal is to provide students with as many job and internships opportunities as possible.

Career Services made the change after hearing feedback from students about LionHire, which was static, more difficult to navigate, and looked a bit out of date, Croft said.

“We just looked at what [Handshake] was and the benefit it had for students,” he said.

Current students and members of the Class of 2017 are already entered into the platform and are good to go, Croft said. So far, up to 100 students already are using Handshake.

Alumni who graduated before 2017 need to request free access to the system by going to emerson.edu/handshake. Around 50 have asked for access since the launch, he said.