You’ve probably heard about OACS’ role in a major technology tools transition project—and you may be wondering what that really means for you and the career services community. Let’s dig in!
After years of planning, preparation, and execution, this tech tools transition initiative has officially wrapped up, marking a new partnership between OACS and the Learn@UW team within DoIT—the same group that supports widely used tools like Canvas. 
As part of this transition, Learn@UW will now oversee system administration for Handshake, Big Interview and Big Resume, and 12twenty (used for the First Destination and Workplace Experience Surveys), with the DoIT Help Desk available for technical support.
We’re excited to share what’s changing—and what’s staying the same!
📢 What is Changing?
New Forms to Request Administrative Access for Tools
We have streamlined and improved the process to gain administrative access (i.e.; back end access) to career services tools by creating new forms that ask for all the necessary information up-front. This process is also now managed by the Learn@UW team. Please update or add these links in any new staff onboarding documentation you have!
- 12twenty Administrative Account Request
- Big Interview & Big Resume Administrative Account Request
- Handshake Administrative Account and Student Test Account Request
Expanded KnowledgeBase (KB) Documentation
These expanded KB documents for regular and administrative users highlight how to gain administrative access, training information, resources for regular and admin users, and where to go if you have questions. Bookmark the “Getting Started” links if you work with any of these tools!
- 12twenty: Overview & Getting Started
- Big Interview & Big Resume: Overview & Getting Started
- Handshake: Overview & Getting Started
DoIT Help Desk Technical Support
All technical support questions are now handled through the DoIT Help Desk rather than OACS staff. This includes account access or log-in issues for students and alumni, as well as administrative staff users.
Increased Training & Consultation Capacity from OACS Career Services
With the transition of system administration to Learn@UW and the addition of an Assistant Director for Career Services Technology (Ilsa May), OACS can expand and improve our training and resources for these three technology tools.
Microsoft Teams Channel Processes
We have added, updated, or streamlined Teams channels for administrative users for all three technology tools. When new administrative users request access to the tools, they will be added to the relevant Teams channels to stay connected to other users, share best practices, and get relevant updates (like outages) from Learn@UW.
Alumni Access to Tools
Alumni now have access to Big Interview & Big Resume, as well as continued access to Handshake indefinitely.
Handshake-specific Changes
- Student Test Account Access in Handshake: These accounts can now be requested by non-career services staff. Student test accounts are user friendly and very helpful for staff or faculty who want to promote opportunities from Handshake (events, jobs, career fairs, etc.). Moving forward, all new administrative users will also receive a student test account.
- New Permission Levels for Handshake Administrative Users: These were created in consultation with our Handshake Superusers group and are based on the different types of work performed within Handshake (i.e.; managing events, working with employers, etc.). All new administrative users will be asked to select specific role groups and OACS will eventually transition current administrative users to these new role groups.
- NOTE: The email address handshake@careers.wisc.edu is no longer in use. Please send any Handshake questions for the OACS Career Services team to info@careers.wisc.edu.
👉 What is Staying the Same?
- Training, resources, and community connections for utilizing these three technology tools will still be offered by OACS, but expanded!
- Business decisions about how we set up and utilize these tools and their data will still be made by OACS, in consultation with the career services community and Learn@UW.
- Gathering community feedback to influence trainings, resources, and utilization for career services technology tools (for example, the Handshake Superusers group will continue).
- Alumni have access to Handshake indefinitely (and now also Big Interview & Big Resume)!
A huge shout out to everyone who contributed to this project—from the initial brainstorming about an OACS and Learn@UW partnership to our Handshake Superusers group providing feedback on detailed permission levels. We are excited for this new chapter!