American River College has a new platform called Handshake, which is available for all students and alumni to use to search and find internships, as well as jobs.

Handshake provides a number of resources to students by allowing them to schedule appointments, connect with employers and register for events. 

In order to create an account a Canvas login is required, and once that is retrieved, Handshake will ask a series of questions based on what kind of jobs fit the user’s field of work. 

Vivian Dillion, faculty program coordinator of work experience & internship program and Catherine Pohlman, the work experience and internship program’s internship developer, are working closely to ensure students are offered this opportunity to get involved during this pandemic and network while in quarantine. 

“Students already have a Handshake account. Their account is linked to the Single Sign On page. There, students can click on the Handshake icon. Otherwise, students can visit the Handshake website,” Dillion said in an email to The Current. 

Handshake is new to ARC and launched last fall during the pandemic.

“The goal was to choose a platform that allows students to: Network with other students, and connect easily with employers,” Pohlman said. “Students have been taking advantage of it, but we would love to see the number of students engaging in the platform increase even more because we believe it has a lot to offer.”

Handshake has been used as a way to connect students to a multitude of opportunities through networking since ARC transitioned to online learning. Although the fall semester will be hybrid, Handshake will still be available for use. 

“Some internships may require advanced preparation,” Dillion and Pohlman said in a combined email to The Current. “Students can contact us with questions about internships, for help with their resume and cover letter or any internship application questions, and assistance with the Handshake system or their overall internship search.”

To find out more information about Handshake you can visit the Internship and Career services page on ARCs website. Students can enroll in a Work Experience & Internship class for academic credit for their internship. Some units may be transferable to CSUs.

Handshake is available via their website here and mobile app on both Android and Apple devices.