Handshake
Career network for students and early talent, with employer recruiting plans and paid AI training work.
Handshake is a career network linking students and early-career job seekers with employers and university career centers. Job seekers use Handshake to search and get matched to full-time jobs, remote roles and internships, or to take paid AI training projects, while employers post openings, message candidates and buy plans for wider reach.
Best for Students looking for a first job or internship, and employers who recruit graduates and early-career candidates at scale.
- Listed in
- Career & Job SearchRecruiting & HR
- Platforms
- Web
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- Free plan
- Yes
- Made by
- Handshake
- Added
Last verified: . Information taken from joinhandshake.com.
What is Handshake?
Handshake is a career network that connects students and early-career job seekers with employers and university career centers. Job seekers search openings by type, such as full-time, remote, internship or AI specialist roles, receive personalised matches and can join events and ask for advice from other members. A second strand, Handshake AI, offers paid, flexible remote projects in which students and subject experts help evaluate and improve AI models; the site says no previous AI experience is needed. For employers, Handshake sells recruiting plans. Basic allows free job posts with a small message quota, Pro adds outreach volume, AI-assisted applicant tools and team collaboration, and Enterprise includes applicant tracking system integrations, a brand page and funnel analytics. Jobs can also be promoted for a flexible fee.
Key Features
Job Search and Matching
Lets job seekers filter openings by type and shows roles matched to their profile.
Handshake AI Projects
Lists paid remote assignments where participants review or train AI systems in their field of expertise.
Employer Job Posting
Allows recruiters to publish unlimited roles to a network of verified early talent, including on the free tier.
Candidate Messaging
Gives recruiters a monthly quota of direct messages, 10 on Basic and 200 on Pro, for proactive outreach.
Talent Filtering
Narrows candidate lists by school year, major, GPA and skills, with more filters on higher plans.
Promoted Jobs
Places a posting in front of more candidates for a flexible rate; the add-on is bundled with Enterprise.
Use Cases
- Finding an Internship
- A student filters for internships and applies to roles matched to their studies.
- Earning From Subject Expertise
- A graduate or PhD holder takes on hourly AI evaluation tasks in their own discipline.
- Hiring Graduates on a Small Budget
- A recruiter who hires occasionally posts roles on the free Basic plan.
- Running Campus Recruitment
- A talent team promotes events across several schools and messages attendees before and after.
- Connecting an Applicant Tracking System
- An enterprise customer syncs Handshake with its ATS and reviews funnel analytics.
Things to know
- Pricing shown is for employers
- The plans and prices on the pricing page apply to recruiters, not to students or other job seekers.
- Message quotas vary by plan
- Recruiters get 10 candidate messages a month on Basic and 200 on Pro; Enterprise volume is custom.
- Promotion costs extra below Enterprise
- Promoted jobs can be added to Basic or Pro at a flexible rate and are already part of the Enterprise package.
FAQs
What is Handshake?
Handshake is a career network where students and early-career professionals find jobs and where employers and career centers recruit them.
What is Handshake used for?
Handshake is used by job seekers to find full-time roles, remote work and internships, and by employers to post jobs and contact candidates. It also lists paid projects that involve training and evaluating AI.
Is Handshake free for employers?
Yes, Handshake has a free Basic employer plan. It includes free job posts and 10 candidate messages per month.
How much does Handshake cost?
Handshake lists three employer plans: a free Basic tier, a paid Pro tier billed per month and an Enterprise tier priced on request. For current figures, see the official pricing page.
What is Handshake AI?
Handshake AI is the part of Handshake that pays students, experts and professionals for flexible remote work helping to improve AI models. The site says no AI experience is required.
Does Handshake integrate with applicant tracking systems?
Yes. Handshake's Enterprise plan includes ATS and XML integrations along with automated workflows.
Who it's for
- Students
- Job seekers
- Recruiters
- Employers
- Career centers
Used in these workflows
- Hiring for a role: what software can handle and what stays a human decisionStage 2: Posting the job and sourcing candidates
- Applying for a job with AI: tools that help you prepare, and where to draw the lineStage 4: Finding roles
Each guide lists the stages of one job and the tools that help at each stage. All guides
Comments
No comments yet. If you have used Handshake, tell other readers how it went.
Alternatives to Handshake
| Tool | Free plan | Starting price | API |
|---|---|---|---|
 CareerflowJob search toolkit with an AI resume builder, application tracker, LinkedIn profile optimizer and autofill extension. |
Yes | — | — |
 ContraCommission-free network where independent creatives show work, find jobs and get paid, and companies hire and pay freelancers. |
— | — | — |
 DeallsIndonesian job portal with mentoring programmes and an AI CV reviewer that scores a resume across twelve aspects. |
— | — | — |
 JobrightAI job search copilot that matches roles, autofills applications and tailors resumes, with an AI recruiter for employers. |
— | — | — |
 VMockAI career platform that scores resumes and gives candidates, universities and employers automated feedback. |
— | — | — |
Listed in the same categories as Handshake. A starting price appears only where we checked it on the maker’s pricing page; a dash means not checked or not published. All Career & Job Search tools