Handshake is an online platform where UC Davis students and alumni can connect with each other and employers. Updating your Handshake profile is a great opportunity to network and supplement the skills and experiences included in your resume. It is very important to keep your Handshake profile updated, as employers and students will want to see all of your attributes and your current professional/academic status!

To begin, click on your account icon in the upper right corner of the Handshake homepage. From the drop down options, select "My Profile." Hover over each section and select the blue pencil icon on the right to begin working on the following tasks. Fill out the components in each section as prompted, here are some tips:

• Photo/Basic Information:
• Upload a professional photo of yourself.
  • Dressed appropriately, well-groomed, and positive expression. Proper background and good lighting
  • You should position yourself to fill a majority of the icon
  • This photo does not need to be taken by a professional, but we don't recommend selfies or group pictures

• My Journey:
• Add a specific and succinct professional summary to your profile. Be sure to make a good impression!
  Include:
  • Your area of study/career interests
  • Relevant experiences and skills that you've gained while attending UC Davis
  • What you are looking for on Handshake (internships, mentorship, networking, on-campus jobs at UC Davis)

• Education:
• You can include degrees obtained at a junior/community college
  • High school education information should be omitted, unless you are in your first year at UC Davis
  • What you are looking for on Handshake (internships, mentorship, networking, on-campus jobs at UC Davis)

• Work Experience:
• Include any experiences during your time at UC Davis where you gained transferable skills and new knowledge. Remember, non-paid positions, internships, long-term volunteering, and leadership roles can also count as experience.
  • Examples of experience: research with a faculty member, internship through the HRI program, having a leadership role in a UC Davis sports club, working at a local grocery store
  • In the "Description" section for each experience, craft 2-6 bullet point Accomplishment Statements
    • Formula: strong action verb + context = results
  • Check page 18 of the Career Resource Manual for examples

• Organizations and Extracurriculars:
• Add a brief description of the organization and its goals, and a description of your role in the organization.
  • Examples: professional and social UC Davis greek organizations, UC Davis sports clubs, campus interest-based clubs, volunteering through the UC Davis Community Service Resource Center
  • Be sure to include any leadership positions you have held or currently possess
  • Craft accomplishment statements here to describe how you contribute(d) to your organization/extracurricular

• Courses:
• Enter courses relevant to the jobs and/or careers you are pursuing.
  • If the courses have supplemental aspects like labs, be sure to include this information.
    • Ex: Organic Chemistry (lab)
  • Include both UC Davis courses and courses taken at a junior/community college

• Projects:
• Include projects from your courses, work, volunteering, and/or organizations.
  • If you have presented at or attended any conferences, have any publications, or received any grants through UC Davis or otherwise, be sure to include them here
  • Craft accomplishment statements here to describe your role in the project
  • Link any website, presentation, publication, or material from your project

• Your Interests:
• This could include your hobbies, general career fields of interests, and significant experiences

• Personal Information:
• These components are optional and can be hidden from employers (except your hometown)

• Skills:
• Use the "Add" function to include your hard and soft skills.
  • Be sure to include any skills that require training for you to learn (computer softwares, certifications, etc.), personal skills, and character traits
  • Think of skills you may have gained in your UC Davis coursework (data analysis, lab techniques). This section may auto-fill or suggest skills for you to include, so be sure to remove any skills that may not be applicable

• Documents:
• Use the "Manage Documents" function to add documents to your profile (resumes, cover letters, etc.) and set which ones you would like to be visible to employers.
  • Upload multiple versions of your resume (research, business, general, etc.) and decide which to make visible depending on the type of job you are targeting
  • If you have a document that is specific to an employer or company (i.e. stating a company name you applied to), do not let this be visible on your profile
  • Tip: Have your documents reviewed by a UC Davis ICC peer advisor or career advisor first!

• Visibility Settings:
• In some sections, you can customize what is visible to employers.
  • Note that the icon of a crossed-out eye indicates that the information is not visible to employers. Everything else is visible to employers
  • A lock icon means the information is locked by the school and you cannot change it. To change your profile to be visible to the community and/or employers, you can go to your account icon > Settings & Privacy > Account Information

If any questions arise while updating your profile, please visit the ICC to learn about peer advising drop-in or career advising through Handshake.