Paid internships still give graduates the edge

Two recent reports from NACE, the US National Association of Colleges and Employers, show how much an internship can help.

From its 2026 Student Survey of more than 17,000 students (June 2026):

• 43% of new graduates had at least one job offer before graduation.
• Among graduates who had done a paid internship and applied for jobs, 55% had an offer.
• Paid interns with offers were offered an average of $69,521, against $61,747 for graduates overall.

And from its 2026 Internship & Co-op Survey of employers (April 2026): 63.1% of interns were converted into full-time hires, the highest rate in five years, and 88.3% of those offered a job accepted.

What it means for you:

• An internship, placement or part-time job related to your field is worth chasing, even a short one.
• On your CV, give it the same weight as a full job: what you did, the tools you used and the results, with numbers.
• No internship yet? Projects, volunteering and society roles show the same skills. Describe them with the STAR method.