Job Search Resources

Handshake is UVM's career platform.

Handshake is great, and...  it is not the end-all be-all. Like any search, casting a wide net will yield the best results. The good news is: job search resources and databases are vast! 

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Making the Most of Handshake

5 Reasons You Need Handshake

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  1. Competitive Advantage
    Handshake is the only place that connects you, your school, and employers together. You’ll see jobs and internships posted specifically for students, and employers actively recruiting from your school.
     
  2. Active Recruiters
    Employers on Handshake message students with invites, interview requests, and new job opportunities.
     
  3. No Experience Required
    The jobs on Handshake are meant for students like you, so you can get the work experience you need.
     
  4. Curated Work Opportunities
    When you fill out your profile, Handshake will show you jobs and internships that match your interests and skills.  You may even discover a new career path.
     
  5. Exciting Employers
    All of the top employers are recruiting students on Handshake, including Fortune 500, startups, nonprofits, and more.

Complete Your Profile

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With more than 9M+ active students, at 1400+ universities nationwide, with over 650K employers recruiting - Handshake is the leading college-to-career network.

In order to not get lost in all that opportunity, Handshake uses AI to customize your homepage to showcase relevant opportunities. The best way to leverage this capacity and discover opportunities you might have thought to look for is to complete your profile and the Career Interest Survey.

BONUS: Students with a complete profile are 7x more likely to be contacted by recruiters. 

Create & Save Searches

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  • Use the FILTERS to search by job type (intern, full time job, part time job), location, industry, interests, job role, etc.  (Use keywords to refine or further specify your search).
  • SAVE your search to receive email alerts when new positions are posted that meet your search criteria
  • FAVORITE positions that interest you to return to later (this also helps curate your feed)

Browse Collections

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Not sure what you're even looking for, collections on Handshake are curated by relevant themes such as Great for Internships or Close to Campus, etc. Browsing Collections is a great place to start!

Campus to Career

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Resources specific to Part-Time Job Searches

On-Campus

The Student Employment Office manages all work-study positions and many non-work study positions on campus. Part-time work is a great way to make some money, and build your resume with transferable skills. Consider positions offering relevant skill development.

Off-campus

In addition to Handshake, local papers (e.g., Seven Days) are great ways to find local businesses seeking part-time employees. And, don't be afraid to drop by places of interest to ask if they're accepting applications (shows initiative & interest!). Remember to plan for your commute.

International Students

International students be sure to visit the Office of International Education's guide to on-campus employment - it's key hat you understand your immigration status and how it impacts your eligibility for off-campus employment.

Beyond Handshake: More Resources!

International Jobs/Internships (GoinGlobal)
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GoinGlobal is an international career and employment resource that includes country specific career information for over 30 countries and 50+ USA metropolitan areas. Information topics include:

  • World-wide job openings
  • World-wide internship listings
  • Country career guides including specific resume writing guidelines and examples
  • Employment trends and opportunities
  • Cultural and interviewing advice
  • And more...

Log-in to GoinGlobal

Micro-internship Projects (Parker Dewey)
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Micro-internships are short-term, part-time work experiences that allow you to get a sense of what an organization/ career is like. 

Information about Micro-internships

Industry-Specific Job Boards
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Your industry probably has specific job boards. There are too many to list here. Talk to your advisor, a faculty member or drop by the Career Center to learn more. 

A Non-exhaustive List of Job Boards

Job Boards + Resources for Veterans
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As a veteran, you've developed a skillset highly sought by employers. 

Veterans are employed in every sector, industry, and job type out there. Your military experience has helped prepare you for a wide range of responsibilities. Exploring your interests and determining how you want to highlight your military service (or not) during your job search will help you make a successful transition to a civilian career.

Finding Opportunities

To help narrow your search, try using "veteran" in keyword searches to find specific opportunities where an employer has specified a preference for hiring veterans or strongly encourages applicants with military experience. There are also many job boards dedicated to the military and veteran community.

Addressing Combat Experience or Disabilities During the Job Search Process

If you have combat experience or any service-related disabilities, choosing whether to share that information with a prospective employer is highly personal. You are not required to disclose this information, even if asked; however, employers may be required to make appropriate accommodations, if requested, as many veterans are protected from discrimination in employment under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Job Boards + Resources for Black Students
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In addition to Handshake, there are job search databases explicitly for Black job seekers. Employers who post there are seeking racially diverse candidates - while it doesn't mean the hiring process will be 100% free from bias, finding and applying to opportunities through these channels might increase your confidence in the process.

See also Navigating Anti-Blackness in the Job Search below for more...

Job boards + Resources for folks with diasabilities
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Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is illegal for employers to discriminate against a qualified applicant with a disability provided that the applicant meets all requirements for the position (including education, skills, and training) and is able to perform all “essential duties” of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.   That said, job seekers with diasabilities do face challenges; these resources can help...   

Employers must make reasonable accommodations during the interview process & on the job, but they need to know what you need.

  • Consider what accommodation/s you might need in order to access the interview process. If you're not sure, consider inquiring about the format of the interview ahead of time to help determine whether an accommodation may be necessary.
  • Request accommodations for an interview well in advance so that the employer can make necessary arrangements.    

Considerations Regarding Disability Disclosure and Disability 

An employer may not inquire about disability at any point prior to extending a job offer, including during an application or interview.   They CAN ask about your ability to complete functions essential to the job as long as the questions are not phrased to elicit the presence of a disability.   

  • Questions that an employer cannot ask include:
    • Do you have a disability that would affect your performance on the job?  
    • Have you ever been treated for mental health problems?
    • Are you currently taking any prescription drugs?

If an employer asks a question regarding a disability, you may decline to answer as it is against the law for them to do so.   

Everyone has their own level of comfort in terms of information-sharing, many people with disabilities never disclose this information to employers. While you may choose to share about your disability, you do not have to share it outside of the designated accommodation process. (Of course, not disclosing through an organization’s formal process could impede your ability to receive accommodations.) The Career Center,  Student Accessibility Services and the ADA/504 Coordinator are available to support you as you reflect on what you want to share, and when.

Pro Tip: Familiarize yourself early-on with an employer's Benefits and/or ADA Human Resources point of contact, so you can have a confidential resource should you need to request an accommodation. Disclosing a disability/diagnosis to anyone outside the formal accommodation process (i.e. a colleague, supervisor) does not ensure confidentiality.

Pro Tip: Accommodation requests should lead to an interactive process where you are directed to what you are required to disclose.

International-Friendly Employers (H-1B/OPT)
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Students in line at commencement 2022

Consider Graduate School

If you're considering continuing your education after you graduate, it's never to early to start planning.

Start Planning for Graduate School
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Alternatives to Working Immediately After Graduation

There is no rule that you have to start work immediately after graduation. You might find fulfillment volunteering, working abroad or pursuing other endeavors while taking a growth year.

Explore Non-Work Options

Additional Considerations

Search Considerations

Location, Salary & Benefits

Consider where the job is and make sure you take into account the cost of living in that location.  Check out the ever-handy Cost of Living Comparison Tool.

Mission, Vision & Values

Do your research on the organization you're applying to. Check their website for things like their Mission, Vision and Values. This will help you get sense of the company culture.  

Inclusion

It can be difficult to determine how truly supportive any organization is but exploring some key indicators can give you a sense of their espoused values.

  • Does their website cite a commitment to diversity and non-discrimination?
  • Do you see (in their employee directory or on LinkedIn) diversity in employees, senior management, and board of directors?
  • How do others review the company on Glassdoor or Dipper?
  • How do recruiters and employees respond when asked about inclusion? Can they give you an example of ways the organization combats discrimination?
  • Does the organization actively recruit or collaborate with professional organizations for people of color?
  • Are there in-house employee supports or social networks for employees?
  • Does anyone in your network has experience working at the organization?

You may also want to do some research about an employer's compliance with federal laws:

  • Use a search engine to enter the employer's name along with an identifying term such as "civil rights violation" or "lawsuit."
  • Check out the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's website, it has an appellate briefs search that you can use to search for employers of interest.
  • Keep in mind that often charges of discrimination can lead to an employer introducing new policies and changing the culture of their organization.

Coming Out During the Job Search Process

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Outing yourself at any stage of the job search process is a very personal decision - there is no right or wrong answer. A guiding question to help you decide is "How important is it for me to be out at work?" Consider the individual circumstances, your own comfort level, and your interest in sharing your sexuality or gender identity with others.

  • Research helps. Knowing about the employer's policies and culture may provide insight, but keep in mind the individual might not hold the same values or beliefs personally as an organization they represent. Research whether an employer has:
    • Non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity/expression
    • Trainings that include sensitivity to LGBTQ+ issues
    • In-house support or employee groups, either formal or informal
    • Gender-neutral bathrooms
  • List organizations by either an acronym or a general name such as “Community Organization” or “Anti-discrimination Organization.” However, be prepared to explain what the acronym stands for or what an “anti-discrimination organization” does.
  • Research local employment laws. Protection from employment discrimination varies by jurisdiction. In some states it is illegal to make a hiring decision based on your answer, in others it remains legal to discriminate against people because of their LGBTQ+ identity.
  • It is your choice how to answer questions about your sexuality or gender — there are many ways to redirect the conversation or dismiss the question as irrelevant to your employment.
  • Prepare, especially for questions that you'd be nervous about answering. Go into the interview feeling confident and prepared to tactfully negotiate questions around your sexuality or gender identity.

FAQs for Transgender Job Seekers

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Transgender job seekers can face additional challenges in job and internship application processes, so we have compiled the following frequently asked questions to help you navigate. As always, you can schedule a time to talk with a career counselor in person to discuss individual questions and concerns.

FAQs for Transgender Job Seekers

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While anti-discrimination laws call on employers to eliminate racial biases from their hiring processes, Black job-seekers continue to face overt and covert discrimination.  Whether you are combatting imposter syndrome (that feeling of questioning yourself or your credibility), working on representing all of your experiences (paid and unpaid) on your resume, preparing to interview in a room where you may be the only person of color (pro-tip: focus on your locus of control & arrive prepared), seeking help to develop your "personal board of directors" (it's near impossible to find a single mentor shares your identities, your industry, and can be your "go to" for all things so convene a proverbial village through your network), or are preparing to negotiate an offer (knowing that racial and gender-based wage gaps are well-documented) our coaches can offer personalized support in your process so you don't undersell your value.

Navigating Anti-Blackness in the Job Search (PDF) 

If you believe you have experienced discrimination in a hiring decision:

You can file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is a federal office, or a town, county, or state Fair Employment Practices Agency. Each situation has different reporting requirements, including documentation and filing deadlines. Consider consulting with a legal aid office or lawyer for case by case advice.