Landing a full-time job isn’t easy. It can be especially challenging if you’re looking for your first job because of the “chicken and egg” problem where you need relevant experience to get relevant experience—and few employers are willing to give a chance to someone who is unproven.
To get you started, I’ve compiled a list of 1,000+ organizations that hire at the entry level, whether through internships, rotational programs, or university recruitment initiatives. But what if you aren’t sure which jobs you should apply for? How can you find and make your own list of potential employers? Keep reading for a few quick tips!
Ready to start your job search? Visit the list of 1,000+ employers hiring college students and new grads here.
FAQ
How do I decide which jobs to apply for?
Step #1: Ask yourself: What am I interested in?
- If you immediately think, finance! awesome! Visit the list of 1,000+ employers hiring college students and new grads here, click “Financial Services,” and open the links listed.
- If you’re interested in everything—and nothing—at the same time: scroll down this page slowly, open as many links as possible, learn about what each organization does, and then make a list of organizations that seem interesting.
Step #2: Ask yourself: Am I graduating from college / university this year?
- If so, when you go onto each organization’s website, look for the words “full time” (or “rotational program,” “early career,” “leadership development program,” or “apprenticeship”).
- If not, then look for the word “internship” or “co-op” (Internships are like jobs, but only for a set period of time—and typically over the summer. Co-ops are programs—often linked with your academic program—that allow you to work for the company part-time while in school or for several months between semesters.)
Step #3: Ask yourself: Do I know what I’m interested in doing inside of a company?
- If so (e.g., you know you want to work in marketing), then look for applications for marketing jobs specifically.
- If not (e.g., you aren’t sure if you’re interested in marketing, sales, human resources, or something else), then look for “rotational programs” or “leadership development programs.” These programs are often 2 to 3 years long and allow you to try—or “rotate” through—a number of different teams. After meeting people across the organization like a two-year-long speed dating spree, you’ll either get matched with or be asked to select a specific team to join permanently.
- If you’re not sure (e.g., you think you’re interested in marketing but you’re not sure), then pick a rotational program or leadership development program. Why? Because (1) it’s always easier to experiment when you’re early in your career (it only gets harder!) and (2) companies often have an unspoken rule where graduates of leadership development programs receive more investment from the company than the typical employee.
How do I find organizations that hire at the entry-level?
Start with companies that have a history of hiring new grads. Often, these are organizations that…
- Are large (e.g., are in the Fortune 500)... which means that they likely have enough jobs that they need to hire at every level of seniority.
- Have a subsection on their “Careers” page that contains terms like “graduate program,” “rotational program,” “leadership development program,” or “internship program”... which means that they have a “cohort” they need to fill each hiring cycle.
- Have someone with a job title like “university” / “early career” / “campus” + “recruiting” / “talent acquisition”... which means that they have someone on their recruiting team dedicated to hiring for entry-level roles.
Interested in an organization—but don’t see its name on this list? Look them up yourself by searching for the following terms on Google:
[Company of interest] +...
- early career
- early career hiring
- student program
- students and graduates
- early talent
- emerging talent
- campus recruiting
- campus relations
- campus hiring
- rotational programs
- internship
- apprenticeship
- co-op
What jobs are available to me as a [X] major?
You may have heard someone tell you that you can do whatever you want with your major. As frustratingly ambiguous as this advice may sound, it’s generally true! With the exception of some jobs like nursing that require certain specific academic training, you’ll likely find people of all backgrounds doing just about any job. Did you know, for example, that Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, studied history and literature in college and that Richard Plepler, the former CEO of HBO, studied government?
I hope this brief FAQ was beneficial as you begin your internship and early career job search. Best of luck–I know you’ll do great!
Not enough time to make your own list? Check out employers with dedicated early talent programs here.
