As college graduation season nears, new data shows a growing number of people are considering taking internships after school.
Search interest for the question “Can you do internships after graduation?” increased by 1,850% between January 2021 and March 2023, according to Google search data from Semrush provided to CNBC Make It.
A jump in these searches through 2021 makes sense, since entry-level jobs were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, and new grads may have sought out internships as a stepping stone in a sour job market, says Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at the college and new-grad career site Handshake.
The surge in internship searches remains strong two years later, painting a picture of a job market where some of the youngest workers are still unsure or unable to take full-time work after graduation.
Recent reports from Handshake show that the class of 2023 is concerned about job stability and financial security given the current job market, where some sectors have labor shortages but there’s even more stress around major layoffs by the day.
As a result, many have soured on the allure of a Big Tech dream job and are considering more stability with stakeholders across manufacturing, retail and banking.
“This class of students and recent grads are likely still wrapping their heads around, ‘I thought I wanted to go into X, and now that’s not an option anymore, so how else might I be able to use my skills? What other industries can I look at?'” Cruzvergara says.
As for the most popular internships of recent years, the top 10 most searched-for intern roles from January 2021 to March 2023, based on Semrush data, include:
- Accountant internships
- Graphic designer internships
- Mechanical engineer internships
- Psychologist internships
- Engineer internships
- Data analyst internships
- Electrical engineer internships
- Social worker internships
- Civil engineer internships
- Nurse internships
Economic instability in recent years could be driving people, not just students, to consider jobs in less volatile sectors, says Eugene Levin, president at Semrush. “The fact that accounting, graphic design, mechanical engineering, social work and other internships are highly-searched is not surprising, because they are important professions that require good training and experience that internships could provide,” he says.
Meanwhile, some nontraditional roles outside the office have seen the fastest-growing search interest since the early days of the pandemic, according to Semrush data. For example, searches for internships to be a forensic science technician skyrocketed by 300% since 2021, while interest in barber openings are up by 250%.
“Just as nontraditional roles and remote jobs have grown in popularity, we’re also seeing increased interest in flexible conditions and even jobs that require little human interaction,” Levin says.
Pandemic disruptions have “encouraged professionals of all ages to consider what path they truly want to follow. Students are certainly contributing to these trends as the modern workplace evolves, in a testament to what the new generation of workers is looking for in their careers.”
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