Bridgewater, Va.- Bridgewater College had a career development event in the Forrer Learning Commons on Sept. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. that encouraged students to activate a Handshake account for a cup of hot apple cider and a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Many students were excited about getting doughnuts in exchange for signing up for a Handshake account. 

“This was a really nice treat for Bridgewater to have for us early in the morning, and all I had to do was make a Handshake account for doughnuts and apple cider,” said junior Katerina Dronov. “Before Wednesday morning, I didn’t even know what a handshake was, but now I know that it is a great way for me to start working on resumes, cover letters and internships.”

Handshake is a platform available for Bridgewater students where they can schedule appointments, access a resource library and register for upcoming events. Some events can also count towards FILA workshop credits as well.

Through Handshake, Bridgewater College has alumni that were hired full time after graduation through internships during their college years. Companies that frequently have internship programs for students are N.B. Handy and Pactiv Evergreen.

“This is a great way that I can have a resume and some nice job offerings available when I am a senior so that I can get employed right after graduating,” said junior Morgan Jones. 

Students can use Handshake to connect with potential internships by tailoring their job preferences and messaging different job recruiters. Scheduling interviews and filling out job applications are also possible through the platform. 

“Most seniors have Handshake,” said senior Luke Cronin. “I have an internship where I am doing student teaching at Turner Ashby High School as a music education major, and am gaining experience, so I can have an advantage when applying for jobs when I graduate.”

Handshake has a goal of providing an equal opportunity for all students, which is evident by their mission statement.

“Handshake’s mission is to democratize access to opportunities: to help every student find the right job, no matter where they’re from or who they know. Today, Handshake is the number one site for college students to find jobs.”