This article explains how Handshake uses job roles to connect students with relevant opportunities and how career services staff can apply this knowledge to support students in their job search.
- For information on how students interact with job roles, visit Job Roles (Students).
- For information on how employers use job roles, visit About Job Roles and Job Role Groups (Employers).
How Handshake assigns job roles to postings
When a new job posting is saved on Handshake, the system automatically tags up to three job roles on the posting based on the job title and description. A student's preferred job role is one of the strongest predictors of whether they will apply to a particular job. By automatically assigning the most relevant roles to job postings, Handshake helps students find jobs that match their interests and ensures the right students are surfaced for each opportunity.
Job role groups were identified using resources such as career interests, user research, majors, and data coverage of job details. A complete list of 380+ role group names and a mapping of each group name to over 8,600 job roles is available in the attached spreadsheet at the bottom of this article.
On-campus employment best practices
The following examples can help on-campus employers identify the most appropriate job roles for common positions:
- For office assistant, data entry, or other clerical positions: General and Miscellaneous Office Clerks and Administrative Support Workers
- For fundraising and event management positions: Fundraisers or Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
- For research-related positions: University Student Researchers
For positions not listed above, download the attached spreadsheet to find the full job role group list and mapping.