Graduated From College Without An Internship? How To Compete For Entry-Level Jobs

One of the advantages to higher education is access to career-starting internships. Companies may prioritize job candidates that have an industry-related internship, or two, on their resumes. Recruiting and onboarding new employees, including recent college graduates and soon-to-be graduates, is a 24/7, 365-day investment for every business, no matter how small.

You should expect recruiters and hiring managers to mitigate the economic risks associated with every new hire. However, it’s not just the Human Resources department. The IT department often calibrates its Automatic Tracking Systems to boost resumes with the keyword “internship” for entry-level roles.

Where does that leave talented college students and recent graduates who, for whatever reason, never worked an internship? Are they second-class citizens in the job marketplace? Do they suffer a career-starting disadvantage? The good news is recruiters and hiring managers weigh many factors before extending job offers. Here are five tips to help you level the playing field:

1. Don’t panic. The fact you don’t have an internship is not the end of the world. You will get your first job and it will be the start of a long and productive career. You can’t build a time machine and change the past (and if you know how to time travel you don’t need our advice!). Focus on the future and what is in your control. Be proactive. There are a finite number of internships. If you never had one, you’re in the majority.

2. Update your resume. You may not have internship experience but you have experience! Highlight academic projects and coursework related to your career objectives that demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Dress up your work experience with “soft” skills and “transferrable” skills. Yes, that includes your summer job. Even if you delivered pizzas, you learned something that will help you in any occupation. Consider a professional resume writer to help you. 

3. Use your school’s career center. Even if you never took advantage of your career center while you were an undergraduate, you should explore what services and aid are available for alumni. Even if the career center staff has never seen your face, they will help you to the best of their ability. For example, your career center may connect you with helpful alumni, direct you to unadvertised job openings, or give you invaluable le job search tips.

4. Apply for the jobs anyway. You will not get the job if you don’t apply for it. Forget about the obstacles or the fact the job listing specifies “candidates with internship experience.” Now is the time to be aggressive. The worst that can happen is that your resume never makes it past the ATS filter or a recruiter quietly tosses it in the trash because you didn’t follow their directive. There are no long-term consequences.

5. Get post-graduate experience equivalent to an internship. It can be tricky to land an internship after graduation. Most internships are intended for undergraduates and companies recruit on campus (or through a school’s career center). If you feel like you’re not making any progress and the lack of internship experience is a contributing factor, explore other ways to get the skills you need to compete.  Entry-level jobs, part-time jobs, contract work, and consulting are potential pathways that will elevate your value in the labor marketplace and increase your future opportunities.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.