10/12/2026
Insight from a recent Cengage report: "Experience emerged as a key differentiator for graduates who successfully landed entry-level roles. Among employed graduates who held an internship, 81% say the opportunity helped them secure their jobs, and more than half (52%) say it helped a lot. When asked to identify the single biggest contributor to securing employment, graduates ranked internships or prior work experience first (24%), ahead of a college degree (14%)."
77% of graduates believe employers expect more experience than an entry-level candidate should reasonably have 53% chose not to apply to entry-level jobs in their field because they felt underqualified, up from 48% in 2025 91% of all recent grads have felt at least some pressure to