Career Connections

Message other George Mason students to find out what they like about their major, how they found their internship, and get their top interviewing tips. It’s easy to use the peer messaging feature on Handshake.

1. Log in to Handshake.
2. Go to the People section.
3. Find students or alums by major, school, previous employers, and more.
4. Select the student you want to connect with and inside their profile, select the “Message” button.

Connect with George Mason graduates to learn about how they are using their degree, get insight into how they began or advanced their career, what they wish they had known when they were still students, and feedback on your resume. LinkedIn is a great tool for connecting with alums

1. Create a free LinkedIn account, if you haven’t already, and log in
2. Go to the George Mason University LinkedIn page
3. Search alums by by title, keyword, or company
4. Scroll down to Identify alums by "What they do", "What they study", or "Where they work" (click Next for more options)
5. Scroll down to Connect with alums using a brief note like the one below. Please note that if you are using the note to connect with the alum AND make a request, your message must be no more than 200 characters.

Hi Eric, I'm a Global Affairs student at George Mason. I enjoyed your profile and would love to connect. I'd appreciate any advice as I prepare to enter the field. Thank you!

Many employers are willing to talk with you before you apply for a job with them. Connect with them to express interest in their organization, learn more about career paths, and how to make yourself a competitive applicant for future openings.  To find contact information for people who work at  organizations  of interest, use  Handshake:

1. Log in to Handshake
2. Go to the Employers section and find one that interests you
3. Scroll to the People section of their page and send a message like the example below
4. If you haven’t already connected with the recruiter on LinkedIn, use a message like this which is under 200 characters:

Hi Eric Smith! I'm a George Mason Global Affairs student interested in [Organization]'s mission. I'd appreciate connecting and learning from your experience. Thank you!

If you’ve already connected with the recruiter, you have more flexibility in your character count. You could consider a message like this:

Dear Eric Smith, Thank you for connecting! I really appreciate it. I'm a Global Affairs student at George Mason University with a strong interest in [industry/field]. I was excited to learn more about [Organization] and your role there. If you have 15–20 minutes sometime in the next few weeks, I'd be grateful for the opportunity to hear about your career path, your experience at [Organization], and any advice you have for a student preparing to enter the field. I understand you're busy, so I truly appreciate your consideration. Thank you, and I hope to speak with you soon! Best regards, Mara

Up to 85% of jobs are filled through personal or professional connections. In this video, you'll get advice from an employer explaining the importance of career connections as part of the job search.