Why this conversation matters now

Graduate hiring has shifted dramatically. Internships are scarcer than two years ago, yet competition is up: postings on Handshake fell by ~15% from Jan 2023 to Jan 2025, while applications per posting surged. Students are applying more broadly—including to smaller firms—and want tools that cut through noise and bias.

Against this backdrop, Garrett Lord’s perspective is timely. As Handshake’s CEO, he’s steering the leading early-career network used by 1,500+ institutions and ~20 million students and alumni, including a fast-growing footprint in the UK.

Handshake’s mission, in Lord’s words

Handshake was founded to “democratise opportunity”—bringing employers to campuses and communities that traditional recruiting overlooked. In 2025, that mission means better matching, broader reach, and more equitable access for international and first-generation students—delivered through product changes that make discovery and employer conversations easier.

What’s new on the product: from search to a student-first Feed

The platform has moved beyond static job boards. The Feed gives students a dynamic, mobile-first experience—surfacing roles, events, and employer content based on interests and activity. Careers teams can plug in guidance; employers can promote timely opportunities; students see what’s most relevant without trawling dozens of pages.

For universities, UK implementation guidance and case studies show how to launch quickly, integrate careers workflows, and run virtual or in-person events at scale.

The AI era: what Lord is prioritising

Lord consistently argues that AI will reshape—rather than erase—entry-level work. Gen Z’s comfort with tools means they can adapt quickly, but they’ll need to show curiosity, faster learning, and collaboration. Handshake’s own shift emphasises AI-assisted matching and new ways to connect talent with the organisations building AI.

In late 2025, Handshake consolidated teams to accelerate its AI roadmap and launch Handshake AI, a division aligning academic experts and graduates with AI labs for model training and evaluation—a signal that early-career opportunities will increasingly include AI-adjacent projects and feedback roles.

Practical steps for students

1. Make your profile evidence-rich. Go beyond modules—add projects, societies, and tangible outcomes; follow employers you care about.

2. Use the Feed intentionally. Save searches, RSVP to events, and engage with employer posts to refine recommendations.

3. Broaden your employer set. Applications to SMEs are rising—and many hire faster and earlier than big brands.

4. Build AI-fluency. Demonstrate how you use AI tools ethically to research, prototype, or communicate—this is increasingly part of entry-level roles, not a niche skill.

Practical steps for universities & careers services

• Integrate Handshake early in the academic year. Use the UK implementation milestones to drive adoption in weeks, not terms.

• Run targeted events and virtual fairs. Case studies show UK institutions boosting engagement and social mobility by meeting students where they are.

• Support international students. Curate employer sets open to visa sponsorship and highlight skills pathways.

What Lord sees ahead

Expect tighter alignment between skills signals and opportunity—more portfolio evidence, micro-internships, and AI-supported matching. With postings tighter and applications higher, the winners will be students who showcase outcomes, employers who communicate clearly (salary, process, timeline), and careers teams who orchestrate engagement across channels. Handshake’s data on internships and application behaviour underlines the urgency.

Bottom line: Lord’s vision is pragmatic: keep access front-and-centre, design for mobile-native behaviour, and use AI to personalise—not to gatekeep.

FAQ

Q1: What is Handshake’s main objective?
To connect students and graduates with employers more fairly and efficiently—using personalised discovery, events, and guided career content. joinhandshake.co.uk

Q2: How is Handshake different from other platforms?
It specialises in early-career hiring, works directly with 1,500+ institutions, and focuses on student-first experiences like the Feed and university-run events. joinhandshake.co.uk+1

Q3: What’s new in 2025?
Richer mobile discovery via the Feed, AI-assisted matching, and an expanded focus on AI-related opportunities through Handshake AI. joinhandshake.co.uk+1

Q4: What trends should graduates know?
Internship postings are down ~15% since 2023; applications and competition are up, with more students applying to smaller firms. joinhandshake.com+1

Summary

Garrett Lord’s message is clear: the future of graduate hiring is personal, data-driven, and access-first. With the Feed, AI-assisted matching, and strong UK support, Handshake helps students cut through noise, universities scale impact, and employers meet great talent sooner.