The University will soon replace the career planning service WorkNet with a new program called Handshake.

Leaders at the Career Center decided to make the switch to the new service when they realized that WorkNet was becoming an outdated system.

“Rather than doing major upgrades, we decide to look at other systems,” Information Technical Services chief information officer, John Ellinger, said.

Some of the advantages Handshake has over WorkNet is its “Class A” system, high performance and high security. Those choosing the new service also felt it would be easier for students to use.

“Some of the selling points for us is that Handshake is very user friendly,” Career Center director Danielle Dimoff said.

In addition to a website, Handshake also has an app that allows users to access their Handshake accounts from smartphones or tablets. The app will make it more convenient for students to use the program and have easy access to the program. Students will also be able to make appointments at the Career Center from the app.

According to Dimoff, applicants will have an easier time tracking job applications they have submitted. Handshake also uses an algorithm to track the user’s activity and make recommendations for jobs or internships based on a students interests. Over 200,000 companies are connected on Handshake.

Dimoff said the presentation of resumes on Handshake is much more professional and refined compared to WorkNet, adding that it will be easy to upload documents onto an account. Students can also choose to highlight their academic and extracurricular accomplishments to give potential employers the best images of themselves. Dimoff described the service as “a merge between LinkedIn and Facebook” and believes it is very simple for users to communicate with companies through the Handshake app or website.

When Career Center staff decided they needed an updated career planning service, one of their main concerns was finding a service that could accommodate Interim President Rodney Roger’s Falcon Flight Plan. The Falcon Flight Plan is part of Roger’s goal to ensure all future graduates have a career plan at the time of graduation.

To choose a new service, they invited 10 career service companies to meetings to determine whether the companies met their criteria for a new career planning service.

“Handshake had the best set of credentials, the best technicals and the best price,” Ellinger said.

The Career Center is planning to launch Handshake by Fall 2018 semester. An event will happen on the day of launch where students can learn more about the service and how to use it effectively. University staff will also receive training in Handshake and will be available to assist any student with questions next year. There are also multiple support sites sponsored by Handshake that students can visit should they have any problem using the service.