What does a Handshake AI Fellow actually do?
Fellows contribute human judgment to AI projects: reviewing generated content, annotating examples or suggesting improvements. The work is project-based, and the available assignments depend on the skills a partner lab needs. The official program overview describes opportunities for students, graduates and professionals.
This guide is for an individual seeking paid work. Handshake also has a separate company data partnership program for business records. Our Handshake platform profile keeps those routes separate. Completing a Fellowship task does not mean licensing your employer’s archive.
What happens at the application or interview stage?
Complete the requirements shown in your own application. Handshake’s current application instructions cover account setup, phone verification, work-authorization questions, expertise, a resume and agreements. They do not describe one universal interview that guarantees admission to paid work.
If your invitation includes an interview or evaluation, use that invitation’s instructions. Project selection may involve further checks. The assessment documentation lists knowledge quizzes, practice submissions and written or skills-based evaluations; format and passing criteria vary by project.
Prepare evidence, not a memorized script. As an original practice exercise, take a short explanation in your specialty and identify one claim that needs checking. Write the evidence you would use and a clearer replacement. A developer could instead show a failing test and a corrected function. These are preparation ideas, not leaked Handshake questions or material to submit as an assessment answer.
Use your own work and follow the instructions about assistance and tools. Review any contractor terms before accepting them. Identity verification and payout setup are required before project work under the current application instructions; follow the steps displayed in your account.
How do matching and the first project work?
An application makes you eligible for consideration; it does not reserve a project. Handshake’s post-application guidance says matching depends on qualifications, experience, expertise and partner demand. Invitations have no guaranteed arrival date. Silence alone does not establish rejection.
- Review a matching opportunity. Read the task description, expected commitment, compensation and participation requirements.
- Express interest. An invitation to apply is a selection step. It is not the same as confirmation that you can start earning.
- Wait for the project decision. Selected contributors receive confirmation and project-specific instructions.
- Complete onboarding. Follow the workspace’s requirements, training and any assessments.
- Start only when approved. Check how tasks, time and submissions must be recorded.
This sequence follows Handshake’s application-to-project guide. Keep a copy of the terms you accept and note the project name, pay basis and applicable limits. Do not budget for a full week of work from an invitation alone.
What do the dashboard labels mean?
Read the label in its context. An assessment review, a project invitation and a payment status describe different decisions. The table separates documented labels and states rather than inventing a universal application-status ladder.
| Label or state | What it tells you | Your next check |
|---|---|---|
| Invited To | You have been invited to apply for a project. | Read its requirements and decide whether to express interest. |
| Open Opportunities | Projects are accepting expressions of interest. | Check the current description and rate. |
| Your Projects: Current / Past | Current lists active projects; Past includes paused or ended work. | Open the project details before planning more tasks. |
| Assessment under review | Your submitted evaluation is being checked. | Wait for a decision; do not resubmit it. |
| Awaiting payout | Approved earnings are queued; the figure may not yet include everything. | Compare the relevant pay week and tasks. |
| Total paid | The summary includes paid and processing amounts. | Check the payout record before assuming funds reached your bank. |
| Review pending / Review criteria not met | A task-level reason explains why that task was not paid in the displayed breakdown. | Read the task details and any adjustment explanation. |
| Pending payment | A payment has started processing but is not complete. | Check payout timing and the configured payment method. |
Sources: dashboard navigation, assessments, pay breakdowns and payment processing. Handshake says the newer pay view is rolling out in phases, so screens can differ. Its dashboard guide prioritizes current dashboard information over older email notices.
What should you do while waiting for work?
Keep your profile accurate, monitor invitations and submit interest for relevant opportunities. Those are useful actions; repeatedly treating an empty dashboard as a rejected application is not. Handshake’s matching guidance says it considers profiles for other suitable opportunities.
If an existing project disappears, the project help page recommends checking Past projects and your email: work can pause or close as lab needs change. For an assessment error, contact support rather than restarting or submitting again. A failed assessment can stop onboarding for that project without disqualifying you from the entire Fellowship.
A practical waiting plan: Keep one row in a private tracker for each opportunity: date, project, action completed, next requested step and last update. Record “interest submitted” as exactly that. Leave expected earnings blank until there is approved work at a known rate. Compare a backup such as DataAnnotation or Braintrust using our skills-based platform guide.
How does the first payment work?
Pay depends on verified work and the project’s model, which can be hourly, per task or a combination. The pay dashboard guide says an initial estimate can change after review. Task approval, recorded activity and project time limits can affect final pay. Expand the relevant week to inspect base pay, incentives, adjustments and their reasons.
The processing guide says payouts are typically sent to payment partners by Wednesday afternoon for the previous week; processing can often take another 48 hours. Some projects use a different schedule stated in their terms. Set up the required tax details and Stripe payout method, and check the project-specific schedule before calling a payment late.
If money is missing, Handshake’s guidance asks fellows to wait until Friday at noon PST before escalating missing-pay notifications, and to allow split payments to arrive before disputing amounts. Check the linked help page for its current instructions and dispute route. An estimated balance is not money already received.
Original planning example: Suppose a project pays $30 per approved hour and approves four hours: base pay is $120. If you spent another two unpaid hours on preparation, your return across six hours is $20 per hour before expenses and taxes. This is invented arithmetic, not a Handshake rate or forecast. Use the effective hourly earnings calculator with your own approved pay and total time.
For a useful support request, record the pay week, project, affected task IDs, expected amount, displayed amount and adjustment reason. Describe the mismatch precisely without including private client material or banking details in public forums.
Choose your next step
If you have already applied, open your dashboard and identify the next action actually requested. If you are new, review the current requirements before creating an account. No referral link guarantees acceptance, a project match or earnings.
Explore Handshake individual AI work
Referral link for the MOVE/AI Fellowship individual-work program. Data Mining Masters may earn compensation for qualifying referrals. This is not a company-data referral. Commercial disclosure.
Sources and editorial approach
Primary sources checked November 8, 2026. This is an independent explanation of public documentation, not a firsthand account of acceptance or a promise of income. The practice exercise, tracker and earnings example are original editorial tools. Your current project terms and dashboard govern the work offered to you.