Handshake, a service that provides post-graduation preparation for students, is currently hosting a contest with a potential prize of $10,000.   

Students at all 700 universities that use the platform are able to enter the contest. ESU students can enter by signing up and referring a friend. Both people can then be entered to win.   

The entry is done through a referral link on the Handshake site and each student who has an account receives a unique link that can be sent to others, according to Handshake’s wesbite.  

Once a person signs up using the referral link, the person who referred them and the person who signed up are each entered to win the $10,000, according to Handshake. Each person referred will count as a separate contest entry. 

The contest ends Nov. 30, then winners will be selected and announced following the conclusion, according to Handshake.  

Handshake was first implemented at ESU in April, but this fall semester will mark the end of the program’s first full semester at the university.  

The recruiting platform was created to find potential internships and jobs pertinent to a student’s qualifications. According to June Coleman, director of career services, Handshake is like LinkedIn, but more focused toward students.  

 All students at ESU are automatically signed up for the program and can use Handshake once they log in and complete their profile, Coleman said.  

“I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to improve or sharpen their resume,” said Martin Salazar, junior English secondary education major. “It has all sorts of services, like finding an internship or job.” 

To help with some of these opportunities through Handshake, Career Services offers mock interviews and career counseling to students in addition to hosting annual jobs fairs. Appointments for some of these services can made through the joint account of Handshake and ESU, according to Coleman. 

“It was readily available,” said Salazar. “I just walked in and they immediately helped me out.”