Central College will expand a service to assist local businesses and organizations in hiring student employees, early career graduates or interns. Handshake, a nationwide app, is designed to provide all college students with equal access to meaningful career opportunities.
“Handshake provides a direct way to recruit students and young alumni for both internships and job opportunities,” says Carol Williamson, director of the Imagine More initiative at Central. “This expansion is a logical step as Central implements the ‘Imagine More: It’s Central to Pella’ initiative to strengthen the Pella and Central partnership. Imagine More dives into housing, work and living opportunities for students and residents.”
Central is inviting all local businesses to sign up for a free Handshake account and post job openings and internship opportunities. All Central students are eligible to register for a Handshake account, where they can complete their profiles and upload their résumés. Through Handshake, students can access local positions as well as thousands of jobs listings nationwide or narrow their searches using various filters.
“It’s a great win-win for students and area businesses,” says Jodie Smith, director of career development and civic engagement at Central. “This is one way to address securing a labor force for area businesses as well as increasing awareness of employment opportunities for students attending Central.”
“Once students have their profiles up-to-date, I can send employer postings directly to students who qualify,” Smith says. “Handshake works very well for college students and early career graduates.”
Pella area businesses and organizations looking to hire part-time employees can reach 1,100 students within minutes. This is particularly beneficial to employers without dedicated hiring staff or a third-party recruiter, Smith notes. Handshake also has a volunteer component that allows local organizations to post volunteer opportunities to Central students and recent alumni.
Central and the Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance have partnered to create the Imagine More initiative, aiming to find solutions to work and living issues on and off campus.
“The PACE Alliance members are excited to partner with Central on the Imagine More Initiative. In addition to PACE’s job postings on pella.org, local businesses can now use Central College’s free ‘Handshake’ account to easily post job openings and connect with talented students. By utilizing Central College’s free ‘Handshake’ account, local businesses have a unique opportunity to recruit talented students directly from the campus,” says Karen Eischen, PACE director.
Businesses interested in signing up for a Handshake account or learning more about Imagine More may contact Williamson at 641-628-7667 or williamsonc@central.edu.
For more information on Central’s career development services, contact Smith in Central’s career development and civic engagement office at 641-628-5271 or smithjo@central.edu.
