The Business Beat

Work Experience Key for New Graduates:

BETHLEHEM, PA—New college graduates who have taken part in an internship or cooperative education assignment may have an edge in the job market over their peers who lack such experiences, according to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Employers taking part in NACE’s Job Outlook 2009 Survey reported a strong preference for college candidates with relevant work experience.

“More than three-quarters of employers say they would prefer to hire new college graduates who have relevant work experience. For college students, that experience is most typically gained through an internship or co-op assignment,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

Although the majority of respondents favored relevant work experience, the study underscored the importance of any work experience to employers.

“Nearly 20 percent of employers said they look for any type of work experience—relevant or otherwise,” says Mackes. “Less than 3 percent said they don’t factor in work experience when deciding to hire a new college graduate,” says Mackes.

Interestingly, the results are similar to those of a NACE study conducted in fall of 2007, when the economy was better. (See Figure 1.)

“This is a clear indication that relevant work experience matters regardless of the job market conditions,” says Mackes. “College students can better position themselves with potential employers by including an internship or co-op assignment in their college plan.”

But taking part in an internship or co-op assignment can yield even greater benefits in a poor job market.

“Our studies show that in a poor economy, when employers do have jobs, they often look first to their own interns and co-op students,” says Mackes.

Figure 1: Importance of work experience to employers

2009 2008

I prefer to hire candidates ..................... 76.3%........... 76.2%
with relevant work experience.

I prefer to hire candidates with .............. 18.9%........... 18.2%
any type of work experience.

Work experience doesn’t typically .......... 2.6%............. 4.8%
factor into my decision when hiring
a new college graduate.

Other.................................................... 2.2%............. 0.7%

Source: Job Outlook 2009 and Job Outlook 2008, National Association of Colleges and Employers

About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates.