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All USA students are automatically provided a Handshake account. However, you must activate the account using your JagMail email address and by following the steps below:

1. Go to and enter your university issued email address.
2. (Current or returning students): Enter your university issued email address in the box below 'Please Sign In' and an automatic email will be sent from Handshake for a 'Password Reset Request'. Click on the link in the email and then type in your new password for your Handshake account.
3. (Alumni): Select
   • 'Sign up for an Account'
   • 'Student/Alumni'
   • 'Register a New Account'
   • Input the required information. An email will be sent to you when your account has been approved.

You’ll need to decide whether to make your profile public or private.

• A public profile, and most information in the profile, can be seen by any employer on Handshake. (Note: There are some Handshake profile components, like GPA, that have their own privacy settings. You can make your profile public, but your GPA private, for example). Your profile can’t be seen by other students or by Career Services Centers at other schools.
• A private profile can only be seen by you and ÐÔÊÀ½ç´«Ã½ Handshake Administrators.
• You can switch your privacy status at any time, from private to public or from public to private under the 'Settings & Privacy' tab.

When completing your profile, remember the following:

• You can complete the profile sections individually or upload your resume. Should you upload a resume, you can choose to pull information directly from your resume document into your system profile, including: work experience, extra-curricular activities, and skills.  Be sure to check the details to make sure everything is correctly listed in your profile.  For information on building and perfecting your resume, visit our Resume Writing page.
• Include your expected graduation month and year since employers may screen on this criteria.
• Importantly, most employers search for candidates based on skill sets, so be sure to add a thorough list of your skills to your profile.
• When adding a profile photo make sure you are professionally dressed and alone in the photograph.
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Please note that the following process only applies to current undergraduate students.  

Upon uploading your documents to Handshake:

• A Career Development team member will review your document
• A label will be given to your document; either ‘Reviewed’ or ‘Changes Suggested’
• A Career Development team member will suggest the next steps (if needed) to ensure your document meets industry standards for quality

Additional Review Info:

• Documents do not require a review in order to apply for positions in Handshake
• Contact Career Development if you need immediate feedback (see below)

IMPORTANT:

To ensure documents are of competitive quality, have them critiqued by Career Development prior to uploading and applying for positions in Handshake. Consider these resources to assist you in building or perfecting your documents:

• Review the Resume Rubric to ensure your resume contains the appropriate content and format.
• Awato document creator assists in creating a resume document from scratch or updating an existing document and receive suggestions.  Awato will analyze your job or related industry posting and suggest key words, content, and formatting.
• For information on building and perfecting your resume, visit our Resume Writing page.
• For a quick 15 minute review of your resume come for Drop-In Career Advising.
• Request a resume critique appointment via Zoom or telephone by contacting our office at (251) 460-6188 or careerdevelopment@southalabama.edu.

Setting Visibility & Privacy

You have the option to have your documents visible on your profile, allowing employers to view and download these documents if they'd like. Many students have numerous documents saved, but only a couple that are listed 'visible' for employers.

• Documents can be attached to specific job applications (even if it is not set as 'visible' on your profile)
• Documents are only viewable by the employer who receives your application
• Other employers searching on Handshake will not be able to view documents not marked 'visible'
• Documents tailored for a specific job application should not be made 'visible' (cover letters or resumes)
• Handshake allows you to upload one visible resume to reduce confusion

You can see which documents are currently 'visible' by clicking 'Manage