Internships are meant to help students gain experience before they begin their careers. But what if getting an internship already requires experience? A graduate's LinkedIn post about the growing expectations from interns has resonated with many young job seekers who say they have faced the same challenge.
The post was shared on LinkedIn by Reham Jaafar. In her post, Jaafar reflected on the challenges she faced while searching for an internship, saying the hiring process often felt more like applying for a full time job than a learning opportunity.
In her post, she wrote, "Nobody told me getting an internship would feel like applying for a real job. I was a student. I needed an internship to validate my degree, gain experience and finally step into the professional world. Simple, right?"
(Also Read: Employee says 90-day notice period is 'killing' his job search: 'HRs take zero excuses')
She went on to explain how job descriptions often demanded skills in Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, SEO tools and even previous experience in a similar role. "I closed my laptop. Where exactly was I supposed to get all of this before the internship that was supposed to teach me all of this?"
{{/usCountry}}She went on to explain how job descriptions often demanded skills in Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, SEO tools and even previous experience in a similar role. "I closed my laptop. Where exactly was I supposed to get all of this before the internship that was supposed to teach me all of this?"
{{/usCountry}}Calling it a paradox, she wrote, "You need experience to get an internship, but the internship is supposed to give you the experience."
According to Jaafar, many companies now expect interns to arrive fully prepared instead of treating internships as learning opportunities. She argued that interns are often expected to manage accounts, create strategies, run campaigns and deliver results while being offered little or no pay.
She concluded by saying, “To every student still applying, still getting rejected, still feeling like you're not enough, you're not the problem. The bar was just moved while you weren't looking.”
Social media users relate to the experience
Many LinkedIn users said they had faced similar struggles while searching for internships and entry level jobs.
One user commented, "The internship paradox is just the adult version of needing a credit history to get a credit card. We've built entire systems around proving you don't need help right before the moment you're supposed to ask for it."
Another shared a personal experience, writing, "Well said. I remember going through five interviews for an internship only to get rejected. It was discouraging, to say the least. But now I am teaching myself and building personal projects that I am passionate about."
"The entry level paradox is real. We cannot expect fresh graduates to arrive fully skilled for a role that is meant to teach them," another person wrote.
Echoing the sentiment, one user commented, "I completely agree with you. What's the point of an internship if they expect us to know everything already?"
Another added, "Sometimes saying no to an internship and working on projects you are genuinely passionate about is the best thing you can do for yourself."
One comment summed up the feelings of many young job seekers: "This post was comforting to read. Knowing that this is such a common issue is also deeply disappointing."
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)