Career Services For Alumni

SVSU alums can access Handshake by logging in one of two ways:

1) if your SVSU credentials are still active, you can access Handshake by clicking on the "Alumni" login button below
2) if you would like to use a non-SVSU email address to login to Handshake, Use this Instructions for Alumni Access to Handshake (Non-SVSU Email Address) (1,282KB)  to assist you in obtaining access. 

• Free
• Upload resume, share your profile with employers
• Search and apply for jobs
• And more!

Schedule an appointment to meet with a Career Services Coach to discuss

• Handshake 101
• Job Search Strategies
• Resume/Cover Letter Review
• Mock Interviews

Book Online Here

• Focus on highlighting transferable skills you possess that are mentioned in the job description. This may include technical skills or general skills/qualifications like “communication” or “detail-orientation.” Consider including an “Additional Experience” section to list older/less directly relevant experience lower on your resume
• Depending on your field of interest (e.g., engineering, marketing, management) a professional/qualifications summary may be helpful to help explain your skills/experience and how they are connected to your new area of interest
• If you have recently completed a degree or other types of education/training relevant to your desired field, place these near the top of your resume
• If you have extensive experience and your degree is unrelated to your desired field, place education at the bottom of the page
• Consider a two-page resume only if the information you would include on the second page is relevant to your desired field 

A Young Professional Network(YPN) is a valuable resource for those who want to build relationships with peers, advance their careers, and make a difference in their industry, community, and local association. A YPN gives young professionals the chance to build their social capital, discover new job opportunities, all while building a better resume.

Here are five reasons why joining a YPN will give young professionals an edge in their careers.

1. Enhance your Network: A YPN is the chance to build connections beyond LinkedIn. The people you meet can become mentors, inform you of new job opportunities, become valuable references, or be your support system.
2. Build your Resume: A professional association can be an impressive addition to your resume. It shows an interest in volunteerism and a willingness to take on leadership roles in your community. Listing your association memberships on your resume shows current and future employers that you are dedicated to staying connected in your profession.  
3. Be a Leader: Professional associations give you opportunities to develop your skills as a leader. Are you a marketing whiz? Lead your group's outreach efforts. A pro at finances? Manage the organization's budget. Plus, you can bring your new-found leadership skills into the workplace and show what you've learned to your managers.
4. Gain Industry Knowledge: Joining an association can give you insight on new industry trends and give you the boost of confidence you need to approach your boss with a new idea or project. It can also help you gain useful skills that may be nontraditional to your job.
5. Stay Inspired: No matter your profession, staying inspired can be difficult when you are constantly hitting roadblocks in your career. However, meeting with young professionals who have similar goals as you, gives you the opportunity to trade ideas, solve problems, and get inspiration that will only help your career. If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. 

There are three local young professional networks in the Great Lakes Bay Region:

Or search for one in your town!

As an SVSU alum, you have something to offer. Sharing your personal and professional experiences with current students provides valuable learning and networking opportunities, insight into industry trends and experiences that will help shape their professional development. 

If you want to help future Cardinals succeed as you have by speaking on campus, offering internships or job shadows at your businesses let us know by emailing careers@svsu.edu.

As you are approaching graduation or for up to six months after graduating, you may be receiving requests to complete your first destination Survey, so what is a First Destination Survey?

A First Destination Survey captures information regarding how new college graduates fare in their careers within six months of graduation. The initiative is to provide clear, concise, and consistent data on the outcomes associated with a college education on a national scale. Check out where previous SVSU Graduates have landed: https://www.svsu.edu/careerservices/firstdestinationsurvey/

You are able to complete your survey multiple times, so don't worry if you haven't received that job offer or grad school acceptance yet. You can always indicate that you are still seeking and then update your results as your situation changes.

Help contribute to SVSU Graduate Outcome reporting by taking your First Destination Survey when directed to!