Ready to join the Handshake AI Fellowship? Follow the steps below to submit your application!

To learn more about Handshake AI, check out Introduction to the Handshake AI program.

1. Go to the Fellowship sign-up page

• If you are not logged into your Handshake account, visit the Fellowship Program page and click Sign up now to log in or create an account.
• If you are already logged into Handshake, click AI Work in the left-hand navigation menu and skip to step 4.

2. Login/Sign up 

Login: If you already have a Handshake account, sign in using your existing Handshake email address and password. Enter the email address associated with your account, or select Continue with Google if your Handshake account is linked to Google and skip to step 6. 

Sign up: If you do not yet have a Handshake account, enter the email address you would like to associate with your new account. 

3. Connect with school

If you don't already have a Handshake account, you'll be prompted to connect with your school. Use the search bar to find your school and access its Handshake offerings, or click Skip for now to join the open network without connecting to a school.

4. Verify your phone number

We'll send a one-time verification code to your phone.

Enter your phone number, then choose whether you'd like to:

• Receive informational text messages about your Handshake AI applications and existing projects (optional).
• Receive promotional text messages about future Handshake AI opportunities (optional).

For more information about phone verification, check out Phone number verification for Handshake AI. 

Once you receive the verification code, enter it in the provided fields.

5.  Confirm your work authorization

Use the dropdown menus to answer the following questions:

• Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
• Will you now or in the future require sponsorship under Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT)?
• Will you now or in the future require H-1B sponsorship?

After making your selections, click Next to continue.

6. Complete your expertise and profile

Provide details about your experience and background so we can match you with opportunities that best fit your skills.

Tip: Your resume must be uploaded as a PDF and cannot exceed 50 MB.

7. Review and accept the agreements

Select the checkbox to agree to the:

• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Contractor Agreement

Then click Next to finish setting up your profile. You'll be directed to the Handshake AI dashboard.

After completing your profile, there's nothing else you need to do while you wait to be matched with a project. To learn more, check out Next steps after applying to the Handshake AI Fellowship.  

If you're invited to join a project, it will appear on your dashboard, where you can review the project details and get started.

To begin working on a project, you'll need to complete both identity verification and payout setup. These steps are required before you can start project work.

If you're waiting for a project match and would like to get a head start, you can complete identity verification and set up your payout method now so you're ready to begin as soon as you're invited to a project.