It will be harder for college graduates to land a plumb internship this summer, because of the coronavirus pandemic that has companies re-assessing staffing plans.
Glassdoor reports 52% of internship openings posted before the pandemic began have now been closed, and internship hiring in April was down 39% from a year ago.
“It seems to be that internships are maybe the first to go when companies are making difficult decisions. And as they are temporary, it may be a somewhat easier decision for companies to make, Amanda Stansell, senior economic analyst at Glassdoor told WTOP.
Travel and tourism internship opportunities have been hardest hit, with a 92% drop in month-over-month openings. Information technology internship opportunities are down 76%. Internship openings and media and publishing companies are down 62%.
Glassdoor recommends college graduates seeking a summer internship focus on three things.
- Hone your resume and cover letter
- Research companies and jobs that you are really excited about
- Use your network
“Even if you can’t meet up with somebody right now, schedule a virtual coffee chat,” Stansell said. “Even if you aren’t able to find an internship this summer, you are establishing that network.”
There are industries that have considerably more internship openings than others, even if opportunities are down across all industries.
Glassdoor said accounting & legal had the most posted internships, followed by manufacturing.
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