Handshake

What do you like best?

Lots of tools to manage my operations from a single platform. This one platform allowed me to replace three separate platforms that we used previously. The price is right, even for a small, low-budget office like mine. And I love that they are continuously rolling out new features and updates, so I always feel like I'm getting added value for my license. Maybe the best thing about Handshake is their service. I've got a dedicated account manager that I work with on bigger or longer-term issues/projects, and also alse have their ticket system for smaller issues or tweaks, which are usually handled within 1-2 days.

What do you dislike?

Platform is still growing so some pieces feel a little underbuilt. They work, but could be done in a more streamlined and visually appealing way.

Recommendations to others considering the product:

Invest time up front in the onboarding training. Much of the platform is intuitive, but there are some nuanced things that are easy to miss because they're not technically required for Handshake to work properly, but that will provide extra value and clarity to students and staff who use the program.

What problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized?

My work is managing student and alumni records, but also engaging them in all aspects of their career search process. Handshake puts all of the data I need in one place, with powerful and customizeable analytics and reporting capabilities. But Handshake also manages our events, job postings, career fairs, outcomes surveying, and more... all in one place so every piece of data is tied to the student/alum from step one. It also facilitates targeted email campaigns with analytics.