Handshake is a career network connecting students, universities, and employers for internships and entry-level jobs on iOS and Android.
Product velocity
Active
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#26
▲11Business · free
Sentiment
4.8
139k reviews
Nemesis
Fragmented field
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire Handshake to access verified campus-recruitment pipelines that generalist job boards lack, providing a structured path from education to employment.
For Students and early-career professionals seeking internships, entry-level roles, and career development resources.
What does it look like?
Key features
Connects students, educational institutions, and employers within a single platform.
Personalized job and internship recommendations based on user profile and career interests.
Access to virtual and in-person career fairs, resume workshops, and networking sessions.
How much does it cost?
The platform operates as a free-to-use tool for job seekers, monetizing through B2B employer partnerships and premium employer products.
Velocity
Active developmentperformanceopaqueShow more...
The app maintains an active release cadence, shipping two updates within a four-day window across Android and iOS. Despite this high frequency, the developer provides only generic, opaque release notes, suggesting that improvements are likely delivered via server-side flags or minor stability patches rather than visible feature changes. The development trend appears stable, focusing on ongoing maintenance and performance optimization.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Fresh user feedback skews upset. Users appreciate some users find the employment search experience rewarding once they successfully navigate the initial onboarding process, but report missing international phone number support prevents users in india and pakistan from completing mandatory registration.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Weekly average review rating
What users say, by theme
- Some users find the employment search experience rewarding once they successfully navigate the initial onboarding process
- Missing international phone number support prevents users in India and Pakistan from completing mandatory registration
50 of 50 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Upset overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Handshake Jobs & New Careers
How's the Business market?
Handshake maintains a dominant position in the campus-recruitment space, evidenced by its 129,623 iOS ratings. The lack of international registration support limits its reach compared to global job boards.
The rivals identified
The Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Handshake Jobs & New Careers
Where is it heading?
The campus-recruitment market is shifting toward remote-first, global hiring, which challenges Handshake's university-centric model. The platform must transition from a closed campus network to a broader, safer global marketplace to avoid losing relevance to agile competitors.
- Users report: Rising scam reports on the platform erode user trust, which increases churn risk for the early-career user base.
- The lack of international phone support prevents global expansion, which limits the platform's reach in high-growth emerging markets.
The SWOT
- Campus-integrated partnerships create a B2B distribution barrier
- AI-powered matching increases relevance for entry-level seekers
- Expanding international phone support unlocks global markets
- Stricter employer vetting mitigates rising scam reports
Next best moves
Ship international phone number support because registration complaints are the top barrier to global growth → increase user acquisition.
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The platform's reliance on university partnerships is its greatest liability…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The competitive outlook shifted from declining to mixed, with increased emphasis on the risks posed by mobile-web friction and the need for a globalized, remote-first strategy.
Bottom line
Users report: Handshake defends its market lead through campus-integrated distribution, but the platform's inability to address international registration and rising scam reports creates a churn risk, so the team must prioritize safety vetting and global access to maintain its competitive edge.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeSources
Report last updated