Most people think there’s only one way to gain experience after you graduate college: Get a full-time, permanent job from a reputable company.
That’s false! After college, I really didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew where I wanted to go. I sought my sights on working in Tech, but I’d never had a Tech internship or even been surrounded by Tech. All of my experience had been in media, including my major. So, instead of applying for full-time jobs in Tech, that I might have been looked over for, I went after “Tech Internships.” Most people also don’t know that recent grads can also snag an internship and work a full-time job after they graduate.
And guess what? That’s what I did! I landed an internship at Uber and had wayyyy more benefits than I would have had if I went for a permanent full-time role at a company in my industry (media & entertainment). This internship set me up quite nicely. I stayed with the company for about 4 months. After finishing my internship, I went on to do another post-grad program, at Warner Bros Discovery (formerly Turner Broadcasting). I was quickly converted to a full-time permanent employee after 11 months in that program. I went on to stay with the company and my team for about ~4.5 years!
And that’s how I kicked off my post-grad career, and you can do this too!
One thing I learned by going this route, was not to think small because there are so many opportunities out there that are bigger than what we imagine. Itโs not widely known that there are alternatives to what people consider a traditional entry-level, full-time role and most donโt require any work experience (*but they do usually require a college degree).
These alternative programs, like the ones that I did, will be labeled as post-grad internships, rotational programs, apprenticeship programs, trainee programs, leadership development programs, and early career development programs.
Why You Should Pursue Post-Grad Programs:
- Most companies treat these programs like full-time, 40-hour/week jobs. So you get a feel for what it would be like to work in a corporate setting.
- They’re flexible! You know exactly when you start, and when your program ends. If you don’t like it, you can move on to something else. But it’s not a wasted experience either, because you get experience + a “major brand name” on your resume!
- They usually are strictly for recent grads (You canโt be out of school for more than 2 yrs or have more than 2 years of post-college work experience.)
- The competition isn’t as tough as it might be for a regular full-time entry-level role, especially if you seek out a smaller company.
- Some post-grad programs offer a competitive salary and benefits (which was true in my case!).
- You get to try before you commit to a full-time, permanent role with the company or team.
- These programs can be as short as a couple of months and go all the way up to a couple of YEARS, with the potential to convert to a full-time permanent role.
Things To Consider Before Applying to Post-Grad Programs:
๐ง The industry matters (some industries pay higher)
๐ง The type of role you work matters (much like a traditional full-time job, some skills are considered to be โhigher skilledโ and will pay more)
๐ง The location matters (i.e. NY or LA will be way more expensive than a smaller market)
๐ง Your lifestyle matters
20 Post-Grad Programs You Should Consider in the Media, Tech, & Consumer Goods Industries:
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ผ๐ป-๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐-๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ:
๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ & ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ
โข Cox Communications LEAD Early-Career Rotational Program
โข ESPN , Productions Operations Associate Program
โข HubSpot , Leadership Rotational Program (marketing leadership)
โข NBCUniversal, Early Career & Leadership Programs (this includes the popular PAGE program!)
โข Simon & Schuster Associates Program
โข Warner Bros. Discovery, Trainee & Apprenticeship Programs (Which I personally did, ask me about it!)
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐
โข adidas, APAC trainee program
โข ALDI USA , District Manager Careers
โข American Airlines, IT Development Program (ADEPT)
โข Gap, Rotational Leadership Programs
โข GEICO Leadership Programs
โข Johnson & Johnson, Leadership Development Programs
โข The Kraft Heinz Company, Management Trainees
๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต
โข AT&T, Development Programs
โข Boeing, Business Career Foundation Program
โข Caterpillar Inc., Development Programs
โข DuPont, Management Leadership Development Program
โข Google, Product Management, Cloud Technical Residency, CSSI
โข Intel Corporation, Rotation Programs
โข Intuit, Rotational Development Programs
Didn’t see the industry you were looking for? Don’t worry, you can check out here and here for even more post-grad internships & early career development programs! These extended lists also include programs in industries like Finance, Healthcare, & Science, Government Affairs, Retail, and Insurance.
What’s Next?
You applied for the role, now it’s time to prepare for your interview! Check out the resources below!
Paid Pre-Interview Assignments: Should I Do Them Or Not?
