Starting this semester, the Office of Career Services has begun supporting a new job hiring and recruitment service to replace LionHire.

On Feb. 28, LionHire will be removed from the university website and will be replaced with Handshake.

Unlike LionHire, Handshake is a pre-existing application that specializes in finding personalized job recommendations from a database of vetted employers based on a student’s major and interests.

The OCS began to integrate the app this semester while slowly phasing out LionHire.

Craig Marinello, manager of student employment and internship development, explained why they decided to switch over to the Handshake app.

“We wanted better and more relevant jobs, and we wanted more access for students,” said Marinello. “The LionHire product was a good product, but the Handshake platform has over 700,000 companies across the country. LionHire does not have a fraction of that, so this was the future.”

Marinello explained that the app’s design was built with the students in mind.

“This is a student centric program built by students,” stated Marinello. “It always has the student in mind. The interaction that it presents for students is designed around the student so the real benefit goes to them. That’s what we wanted to see more of. LionHire was good, but Handshake is excellent.”

Many different universities around the country have also utilized Handshake. Marinello explained that this makes peer-to-peer networking easier, something that was not possible on LionHire.

“Students are able to network with students who have similar interests and majors both locally and across the country,” described Marinello. “Handshake’s interface makes it very easy for students to connect with each other. I’m able to go out there and find other people so I can see what they are doing and what kind of people are looking

for similar jobs. It makes the world a smaller place.”

The application also presents opportunities to network with businesspeople, something that Marinello described as invaluable for students wishing to find a specific career.

One of the biggest advantages of using Handshake over LionHire, according to Marinello, is accessibility and safety.

“To me, being able to talk to other students or people that can help you find the job you want is huge,” shared Marinello. “Also, another component to this is safety for the student. Any company that wants to post a job must be approved by our office first. Every company has what is called a ‘trust score,’ which shows us how many schools approved this employer and possible red flags. It really protects the student.”

There are over 1,200 jobs currently available through the Handshake app.

“There are postings that are already out there ready to go,” said Marinello. “These are relevant jobs to students. These aren’t the jobs that only last for three or four years, which I found sometimes happened on LionHire. We wanted to find opportunities for all kinds of students. There are lots of great jobs out there that pay well and allow for tremendous experiences.”

Marinello encourages students to begin using Handshake and explore the possible job opportunities.

“This app is for everybody,” mentioned Marinello. “We have great part time job postings, we have great internship opportunities sitting on here and we have great career opportunities. It has everything sitting in one spot for all majors. All you have to do is jump in there and start looking.”

Every student, along with alumni that have graduated in the fall 2019 semester, has already been registered in the Handshake software. Students and alumni wishing to access their accounts can log in with their school email and password using the link provided on the Career Services section of the university website.