“I’m a recent college graduate and it’s hard to find internships”
If this sounds like you, I’m here to help
Most internships are for students in undergrad or postgrad school. I recommend that you start applying for full-time, entry-level roles as a graduate. If you’re not quite ready and need more experience and professional development, check out rotational programs!
❓WHAT are rotational programs? 🤔
I like to define rotational programs (sometimes known as professional development programs) as 1-3 year long, full-time “internships” where individuals can rotate throughout 2-3 different departments of an organization for specific periods to get exposure to different business units at a company. These programs are available for undergraduate college grads, MBA students, and other professional graduate school students.
⏳ When should you start applying for rotational programs? Who’s eligible?
You should consider applying for rotational programs during your junior or senior year of college. Most programs accept students who are 1-2 years out of college and application deadlines widely vary. If you’re graduating in December, you can start looking as early as August. If you’re graduating in May, start in October/November.
Recruiting timelines play a major role in when programs are released. Here’s a great breakdown of recruiting timelines per industry for internships and full-time jobs. (source: Princeton)
The programs are usually for applicants who are 1-3 years out of college, especially those soon-to-be and new graduates. This requirement can vary for undergraduates, graduates, MBA students.
💸 What are some of the benefits of these programs?
These programs offer professional development, mentorship, networking, and the opportunity for individuals to further develop their skill set in their industry through working on a diverse set of projects.
For some of these programs, once the individual graduates from their program, they have the chance to decide which department from their rotation they’d like to join full-time!
⭐ Here’s a list of companies with rotational programs (and are actively hiring):
→ The Ogilvy Residency program for those interested in a career in marketing, advertising, PR with 0-1 years of experience – no degree required!
→ WSP in the US’S Advisory Associate Program where they’re hiring early career associate consultants for an August 2025 start in their program
→ Lenovo’s 2-year Accelerated Sales Rotational Program with both technical and non-technical tracks.
→ Nordstrom’s Retail Leadership Training Program with a June 2025 start
As a special surprise, I’ve curated a list of 100 rotational programs/professional development for college graduates. Some are hiring now and some hiring soon in the new year. This sheet is still a work in progress, but there are a few programs listed now so check it out!
With Jobseeker January coming up, now’s the best time for you to get serious about your post-grad hunt as a graduating senior. Spring/Summer 2025 internships are great and have the potential to turn into full-time opportunities but if you’re serious about having a full time job by graduation, you should dedicate 60-70% of your job search to applying for these roles and the other 30% to internships.
Bonus: 2 great websites I recommend for finding entry-level opportunities hiring now are noexperiencejobs.io and newgrad-jobs.com
I also recommend checking out my previous post with a round up of my favorite job boards for students/recent graduates and for international entry level talent.
What questions do you have about rotational programs?
