Alumni

alumni & the career center

The Career Center isn't just for current students. Once a member of the Sooner Family, always a member of the Sooner Family! Our team is dedicated to helping current and past students alike as they work towards their professional goals.

welcome alumni

The Career Center isn't just for current students. Once a member of the Sooner Family, always a member of the Sooner Family! Our team is dedicated to helping current and past students alike as they work towards their professional goals.

Alumni that have graduated within the last three years have access to all services at no cost. From career advice, résumé critiques, salary questions, and more, our team is always here to help get you hired - sooner.

Alumni more than three years out are eligible for access to Handshake, and the resources included.

To access Handshake and your alumni resources, please follow the below steps.

Request a new alumni email address.
Once you have your new alumni email account, email us at careercenter@ou.edu to have your Handshake account reactivated.
IMPORTANT: Please do NOT create a new account in Handshake. Once we have received the new alumni email address from you we will reactivate your old account so that you can retain any historical data in your previous account.

Our services are designed to meet the needs of current students and recent graduates, and those more than three years out are better served utilizing other career resources designed to serve individuals who are beyond their initial employment experience.

Use the resources below to navigate the services available to you as an OU alumni member.

Visit the Alumni Association website.

Accessing your profile

Any alumnus of the University of Oklahoma must have an alumni.ou.edu email address to create/reactivate a Handshake account. Instructions for setting up your new email account can be found here.

Once you have your new email address, please follow the instructions below that pertain to your situation.

If you have used Handshake before: Please email careercenter@ou.edu with your new email address and request to have your Handshake account reinstated. Please provide the year you graduated as well as the first and last name you had while a student at OU. If you remember your student ID or OU 4x4, that is helpful as well.

If you have never used Handshake before: Please follow the instructions below to create a Handshake account.

1) Creating Your Profile

Only follow these instructions if you are new to Handshake. You will need to create your Handshake account with your alumni.ou.edu email address. If you do not have one, please see above for a link to OUIT. Once you have your alumni.ou.edu address, click here. Use your alumni.ou.edu email address and create a Handshake password. You will receive a notification when your request has been approved and your account is active.

2) Complete Your Profile

This information is very important. Your profile provides the criteria by which employers search for potential employees. When you login for the first time, you will be prompted to create a profile and upload your resume into the system. The more complete your profile is filled out, the better we will be able to assist you and the better Handshake will be able to populate your newsfeed with opportunities that matter to you. IMPORTANT: Upon initial login, you have the option to share your profile information with employers by selecting or de-selecting the checkbox under the "Yes, I want employers to be able to find and view my profile" area. Handshake will default to a public profile unless you select otherwise.

To update your profile:

Select your name from the top navigation bar. Once on your profile, you can load documents and updated personal information.
You can add résumés, cover letters, and other application materials (as well as build your profile directly from your uploaded resume) from the Documents tab by selecting New Document. Be sure you have had your résumé critiqued by a Career Center Adviser during walk-in hours, Monday through Thursday, 1:30-4 p.m. or by appointment, before you upload it. NOTE: Making a résumé "Public" will allow the Career Center to send it to employers when they request résumés for specific internship and job opportunities at their organizations. When your résumé is employer-ready, consider making it public to be included in these groups of résumés.
To decide how you want Handshake to communicate important information to you (via Handshake notifications and/or emails), select the Account tab and then navigate to Notification Preferences.
Access your calendar, messages, and notifications by selecting the corresponding icons in upper right-hand corner. You can export your calendar by navigating to your Account Information and copying the export link. Your calendar will automatically be updated when Handshake is updated.

3) Search Employers

With over 10,000 employers in this database, this section is a great resource to identify companies that interest you.

To search companies:

Select Jobs then Employers from the the top navigation bar.
Fill in the search criteria to narrow down your employer search OR search by employer type, size, and/or location.
Click on the organization name to view specific information about the company including profile, address and contact information.

4) Search for Jobs and Internships

Select Jobs from the top navigation bar.
Fill in the search criteria to narrow down your search OR simply view all current jobs without entering any search criteria.
You can save your search criteria by clicking the "+" symbol at the top of the page and adding a description of your saved search to easily repeat the search again by selecting Saved Searches in the future.
Click on a position title to see the specifics of the position and how to apply. You can also select Follow Job at the top to receive additional updates about the position.

5) Apply for On-Campus Interviews

Select Jobs then On-Campus Interviews from the top navigation bar to see all current On-Campus Interview schedules.
Fill in the search criteria to narrow down your search OR simply view all current schedules without entering any search criteria.
You can save your search criteria by clicking the "+" symbol at the top of the page and adding a description of your saved search to easily repeat the search again by selecting Saved Searches in the future.
Click on the Schedule to view information. To request an interview, click Apply. To view the specifics of the related job, click on the position title located at the bottom of the page.

6) Career Events

Select Events from the top navigation bar.
View details by clicking on the career event's name and select Join Event to register for it.
You can select Follow Event at the top to receive additional updates about it.

need help?

For questions about Handshake, you can access a support website by going to Help in the upper right-hand corner and selecting Knowledge Base. For technical support, select Contact Support from the Help menu and create a ticket. Handshake is best viewed with completely updated web browsers.

career advising

Note: advising is only available to OU alumni that have graduated with the last three years

An important step in your preparation for a job search is to develop a strategy. The job search is a process that needs careful planning, organizing, and execution.

Career Center staff members can provide you with information and assistance in clarifying objectives, establishing goals, applying to graduate school, and exploring employment possibilities. Visit the office during the scheduled walk-in hours or schedule an appointment in Handshake as needed.

Career Advisors at the Career Center are familiar with careers related to your major and can assist with your job search. They can provide services like:

Résumé writing + critiques
Cover letter writing + critiques
CV writing + critiques
Mock interviews
Identifying career options
Researching employers

To schedule an appointment with your Career Advisor, sign up for an appointment time on Handshake or drop by our office during Résumé Walk-In hours (Monday through Thursday | 1:30 to 4:00 PM).

Connect with a Career Advisor