The AI assistant helps you understand how well your experience aligns with a specific job and offers suggestions to strengthen your Handshake profile or application materials for that role.
It’s an optional tool designed to provide guidance, not a guarantee of a job or interview.
The AI assistant isn’t available on every job in Handshake. It’s currently enabled on select postings where it can provide more targeted suggestions.
What the AI assistant does
When you start the AI assistant from a job, it:
- Uses details from the job description and your Handshake profile (and, when available, your resume) to understand what the employer is looking for.
- Asks you short questions about your skills, experience, and interests related to that job.
- Suggests specific updates you can make to your Handshake profile or other application materials to better reflect your fit for the role.
The assistant is designed to:
- Help you determine how your experience connects to a particular job.
- Give you practical suggestions (for example, skills to highlight, projects to add, or ways to describe your experience).
You stay in control the entire time — you decide what to add, edit, or ignore.
Where to find AI assistant on a job
If a job includes the AI assistant, it will appear under the “What they’re looking for” section on the job’s detail page.
If the AI assistant option isn’t listed, it means the feature isn’t available for that particular job.
To learn more more about searching for jobs and internships on Handshake, refer to Searching for Jobs and Internships.
How to use AI assistant
1. On the job details page, click Get help refining profile.
If prompted, review and accept the AI terms and privacy notice to continue.
2. Depending on your device and configuration, you may be able to:
- Speak to the assistant and have it transcribe what you say (this is the most common option)
- Type your responses as text (this option is not available for all users)
If this is your first time using the feature, your browser may ask for microphone permission. Choose one of the following:
- Allow while visiting the site
- Allow this time
- Never allow
If you select Never allow, you may not be able to use this feature if typing is not available on your device or configuration. To update your browser’s site permissions, click the two-line icon next to the URL and allow microphone access.
3. The assistant may ask about:
- Relevant classes, projects, or internships
- Skills you’ve used (technical or soft skills)
- Work or volunteer experience that connects to the job
Be as specific and honest as possible—this helps the AI provide more accurate and useful suggestions. You can communicate with the assistant using voice or text. When you're ready, click the up arrow to send your message.
4. The assistant may recommend:
- New sections or details to add to your profile
- Skills or keywords to highlight
- Ways to describe your experience so it better matches what the employer is asking for
Follow the on-screen prompts to accept, edit, or skip individual suggestions. You don’t need to accept every recommendation.
When you’re finished, make sure your changes are saved. Then review the job posting again and decide whether you’d like to submit an application
Tips for getting better suggestions
- Focus on one job at a time: Use the AI assistant while you have a specific job open, so it can tailor feedback to that role’s requirements.
- Highlight real examples: Mention actual classes, projects, part-time jobs, or activities — not just buzzwords. The more detail you share, the better it is for the AI to help you surface the right information.
- Use it as guidance, not a script: Treat suggestions as starting points. Edit the recommendations so it accurately reflects you and your experience.