Handshake
Career platform connecting students with employers
Software Engineer 1 - Rle
In-office 5 days/week in San Francisco, CA.
About the job
- 2–4 years of experience in backend, distributed systems, or ML-adjacent infrastructure
- Strong proficiency in ReactJS and TypeScript
- Solid experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL) and data modeling
- Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP) and CI/CD
- Ability to independently drive projects from design to production
- Build and scale core components of Reinforcement Learning Environments (RLE) environments and infrastructure
- Design and implement backend systems and data pipelines
- Translate ambiguous product and research needs into production systems
- Develop modular, reusable workflow domains
- Improve reliability, observability, and system performance
- Experience with simulation systems or evaluation platforms
- Exposure to ML systems or working with research teams
- Experience in fast-moving, operations-heavy environments
About the company
Handshake connects college students and recent graduates with employers and internship opportunities through a centralized platform used by both students and universities. Students create profiles, search for and apply to jobs, and track deadlines, while employers post openings, filter candidates, and coordinate recruitment events. The platform integrates with university career centers to verify student identities and provide access to job listings, career fairs, and recruitment tools. Handshake differentiates itself by partnering with over 1,500 higher education institutions, creating a trusted, university-backed network focused on the early-career market. Its goal is to close the gap between the classroom and the workforce by simplifying access to opportunities and supporting universities in improving graduates' career outcomes.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Series F
Total Funding
$434M
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2014
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- AI Skills Studio launched September 22, 2026, monetizing employer demand for AI fluency.
- Handshake acquired Uplimit and Cleanlab in 2026, accelerating enterprise learning and data-quality capabilities.
- State partnerships like Iowa and Virginia extend Handshake's embedded distribution across colleges and employers.
What critics are saying
- Sean Boggs filed a July 20, 2026 class action alleging student misclassification and unpaid wages.
- Mercor, Surge AI, and Scale AI pressure Handshake AI on pricing, quality, and supply.
- If courts curb contractor sourcing, Handshake's AI data business loses its fastest-growing revenue engine.
What makes Handshake unique
- Handshake turns university relationships into a verified talent graph for employers.
- Handshake AI Skills Studio launched September 22, 2026 with OpenAI, Google, Salesforce, and others.
- Handshake exposes completed projects and badges to over one million recruiters and employers.
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Benefits
💰Equity and ownership in a fast-growing company.
🍼16 Weeks of paid parental leave
💝Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision
💻Handshake offers $500/£360 home office stipend
📚Generous learning & development opportunities and an annual $2,000/£1,500/2k€ stipend
🏦401k Match: Handshake offers a dollar-for-dollar match on 1% of deferred salary, up to a maximum of $1,200 per year.
🏝PTO
Company News
Handshake has launched AI Skills Studio, a free learning platform offering job seekers hands-on AI training through project-based missions. The platform features projects developed with partners including OpenAI, Google, Salesforce, Figma, and Notion, taking 10 to 45 minutes to complete. Learners work directly with AI tools whilst receiving guidance from an AI Skills Instructor. Completed projects can be added to Handshake profiles and showcased to over one million employers using the platform. The launch addresses a skills gap identified in Handshake's 2026 Network Trends Report, which found 58% of graduating seniors believe they need stronger AI understanding for work, but only 28% say AI has been meaningfully integrated into their education programmes. The platform builds on Handshake's acquisition of Uplimit and is available on both web and mobile.
Iowa College Foundation partners with career network Handshake. The Iowa College Foundation (ICF) announced a new partnership for the state's private universities and colleges through a joint venture with Handshake, a prominent job search network for workforce members in the early days of their careers. An Aug. 11 news release called the new partnership "a significant step in ICF's efforts to strengthen connections between Iowa's independent colleges and universities, employers, and the state's future workforce." Through the partnership, the ICF will utilize Handshake's growing network in order to connect the ICF's member colleges with potential career opportunities. Eighteen of the ICF's 21 member institutions already utilize Handshake, and the new partnership will seek to strengthen the network between Handshake and the universities statewide. The ICF intentionally chose Handshake, rather than create an entire new job search program exclusive to the ICF. "Through this collaboration," said the news release, "ICF will focus on adding statewide value by strengthening employer engagement, sharing workforce insights, and supporting initiatives that benefit member institutions collectively." "Our member institutions are already preparing talented graduates and building strong relationships with employers across Iowa. This partnership with Handshake allows the Iowa College Foundation to amplify those efforts by providing statewide workforce insights and expanding opportunities for collaboration," said Tara K. Connolly, president of the Iowa College Foundation. "Together, we're strengthening the connection between independent higher education and the employers driving Iowa's future." As part of the venture, the ICF will be able to access Handshake's data and workforce insights to assist members of their institutions with understanding the job market. Those insights will then be used to facilitate employer outreach, advocacy efforts, and future initiatives across the state. "We are excited to partner with the Iowa College Foundation as it brings together higher education and employers across the state. By combining Handshake's national network with ICF's statewide leadership, we can help strengthen connections between students, institutions, and Iowa employers," said Kevin Snyder, senior manager of Handshake's EDU partnerships. In turn, the partnership seeks to improve the bond between Iowa's employers, early workforce members, and the ICF's member institutions.
White-collar professionals are earning up to $200 an hour training AI models, but workers say the reality falls short of expectations. Mercor, a San Francisco startup selling training data to AI labs, pays its 30,000 contractors upward of $4 million daily and was reportedly valued near $20 billion in early talks last July. Whilst some roles offer $350 an hour for psychiatry experts or up to $1,000 for venture capital partners, most positions average around $105 an hour. Workers report tight deadlines, flat-rate projects consuming more time than paid for, and inconsistent feedback. A deeper issue emerges as AI models quickly learn from expert corrections, causing work in specific specialties to dry up within weeks. Several contractors have sued data-training firms over alleged misclassification and underpayment. Economists debate whether this represents sustainable employment or a temporary phenomenon that will shrink as systems improve.
Handshake has acquired enterprise learning company Uplimit for an undisclosed sum, expanding into enterprise AI learning and workforce development. Uplimit's technology will form the foundation of a new AI Skills Studio at Handshake. The acquisition marks Handshake's push into the corporate learning space, leveraging Uplimit's platform to help businesses develop AI capabilities within their workforce. The AI Skills Studio will focus on providing training and development programmes for enterprise employees. This move represents a strategic expansion for Handshake beyond its core business, positioning the company to capitalise on growing demand for AI skills training in the corporate sector.
Handshake sets out to lead the AI-job seeking and both model and human training market thru the acquisition of Uplimit.