As you start thinking about life after college, you may hear that internships are the most important stepping stones to your first job. And they are often the simplest and most traditional way to build up your resume so you can land a full-time job. In many fields, having internship experience gives you a leg up in pursuing an entry-level job, and in some, it might even be seen as a sort of requirement—a signal that you’ve “paid your dues” or “shown how invested you are in the career path”—leaving you at a disadvantage if you don’t do an internship.
Unfortunately, many internships are unpaid or low paying and, depending on your career path, can require you to spend a few months living in expensive geographic areas like New York City, San Francisco, or Washington D.C. This puts internships out of reach for many students and recent grads who can’t support themselves (and possibly others they’re responsible for) on low or no wages in a pricey city.
Yes, internships are valuable. They can aid you in clarifying your long-term career interests, developing marketable skills, and launching a professional network. But fortunately, internships are not the only way to accomplish these goals.
For nearly a decade, I’ve worked with college students and young professionals on all things career—unpacking self-assessments to identify potential career paths, building and launching strategic action plans for internship and full-time job searches, and more. And I know that there are many other steps that students and recent grads can take to increase their employability.
So I’ve come up with a list of creative ways to gain skills and experiences as a college student if well-paid internships in your field aren’t common and you can’t afford to pursue an unpaid or low-paid internship.
(If you’re looking for advice on how to write about your college experiences on an entry-level resume, read more here.)
