Central Methodist University has recently implemented an effective and user-friendly way for CMU students to discover greater career opportunities – and for employers to discover their future employees.
Taking student assistance to a new level, CMU’s Career Development staff spent the summer receiving training on “Handshake,” a top online resource that helps connect students to employers, and employers to students. Other opportunities, such as internships, community involvement, and graduate schools can also be found through Handshake.
Central’s James C. Denneny Jr. Career Development Center works with students to help them with everything from researching for internships, to deciding on a graduate school, to finding a job after graduation. This includes developing resumes, cover letters, and other documentation, putting on events to help perfect interview skills and techniques, applying for opportunities, and much more.
Prior to implementing Handshake, which went live for CMU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) students on Aug. 1, Central conducted most of this work through Eagle JobNet – which both students and CMU staff found was not as innovative, intuitive, or user friendly.
“If students don’t like it, they’re not going to use it,” said Nicolette Yevich, director of CMU’s Career Development Center. “Students really appreciate that we’re working to funnel everything through Handshake now.”
Since transitioning to Handshake, students can create and customize their own profiles, upload necessary documentation, begin searching for jobs that interest them, and become “visible” to employers who are seeking talent. The more students utilize their profiles and select career options that interest them, the more Handshake customizes results to match personal interests.
Handshake also is a great tool for companies and organizations who are looking for talented employees. Creating an account is free, and CMU’s Career Development Center encourages employers to do so. Employers can create an account and connect with CMU by visiting centralmethodist.joinhandshake.com.
Students are automatically enrolled in Handshake through their myCMU accounts, and just since it was recently implemented, already over 61 percent of student Handshake accounts have been activated. Nearly 1,700 employers, worldwide, have connected to CMU.
Yevich said she anticipates Handshake being made available for CMU College of Graduate and Extended Studies (CGES) students in January.
For questions or additional information, contact the Career Development Center at 660-248-6986 or career@centralmethodist.edu.
