10 Best Ways to Gain Work Experience Before Finishing College

If you’re still in college, you’ve likely heard that employers want “experience” even for entry-level roles. It’s a frustrating paradox: how do you get experience without a job, and how do you get a job without experience?

Here’s the concrete answer: You can and should gain work experience before you graduate.

Students who have relevant work experience before finishing college are more likely to secure a full-time job within six months of graduation and command starting salaries that are 15-20% higher on average than their peers without experience, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Beyond higher pay, getting work experience while still in school helps you:

1. Paid Internships

What to focus on:

• Seek internships directly tied to your desired post-graduation role. If you are a finance major, a corporate banking internship will carry more weight than unrelated summer jobs.
• Many large companies hire interns into full-time roles after graduation, reducing the need for prolonged job searches.

Key numbers:

• According to NACE, 56% of paid interns receive job offers from their employers post-graduation.
• Paid interns average $19–$25 per hour, depending on the industry and location.

2. Part-Time Jobs Related to Your Major

Working part-time in your field while studying demonstrates your commitment and ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical work.

Examples:

• A marketing student is managing a small business’s social media accounts.
• An education major working as a teaching assistant.
• A data science student analyzing sales data for a local startup.

Key numbers:

• Students working in-field part-time earn 15-20% higher salaries post-graduation (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce).

3. Freelance Projects and Gig Work

Freelancing lets you build a work history on your schedule while applying your skills in real-world contexts.

Examples:

• Writing blog posts or managing newsletters for small businesses, if you are in communications.
• Designing logos or brand assets, if you are in graphic design.
• Developing websites or scripts if you are in computer science.

Key numbers:

• Freelancers can earn $15–$50 per hour, depending on skill level and specialization.

4. Campus Leadership Roles

Leadership in student organizations helps develop project management, budgeting, and team leadership skills.

Examples:

• Serving as treasurer requires managing club budgets.
• Leading event planning for a cultural society demands coordinating logistics and marketing.
• Being an editor for a student publication involves managing content pipelines and team deadlines.

5. Research Assistant Positions

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Becoming a research assistant builds technical and analytical skills while giving you experience in report writing and data interpretation.

Examples:

• Assisting a professor in psychology with behavioral data coding.
• Collecting lab samples for a biology project.
• Analyzing datasets for economics or sociology studies.

Key numbers:

• Many positions offer pay rates of $12–$20 per hour, depending on the department and funding.
• Research experience increases graduate school acceptance rates for relevant fields.

6. Volunteer and Community Service

Volunteering provides exposure to organizational workflows, teamwork, and community engagement, especially valuable for those targeting public service, healthcare, or nonprofit sectors.

Examples:

• Assisting in administrative tasks at a local clinic for healthcare exposure.
• Helping a nonprofit with event planning or social media outreach.
• Tutoring local high school students if pursuing education.

Key numbers:

• 41% of employers consider volunteer experience as valuable as paid work (LinkedIn Survey).

7. Co-Op Programs

Co-ops allow you to gain full-time, paid experience while maintaining academic progress, typically lasting 3-12 months.

Examples:

• Engineering co-ops where students contribute to design or testing projects.
• Business co-ops where you assist in market analysis and reporting.

Key numbers:

• Co-op students often graduate with 6-18 months of work experience.
• Co-ops pay similar to entry-level roles, helping reduce student debt.

8. Personal Projects and Portfolios

Building personal projects demonstrates initiative and the ability to manage complete workflows from ideation to execution.

Examples:

• Coding a mobile app that solves a real-world problem if you are in software engineering.
• Running a blog on topics related to your field, if you are in journalism.
• Designing a brand package for a fictional company, if you are in graphic design.

9. Job Shadowing

Job shadowing offers first-hand insights into your chosen profession and industry expectations without the commitment of a formal job.

Examples:

• Spending a week with a financial analyst to observe their workflow.
• Shadowing a lab technician to understand day-to-day lab operations.

10. Industry Certifications

Certifications build credibility, demonstrating your commitment to learning skills employers value.

Examples:

• Earning a Google Analytics certification for marketing students.
• Completing AWS Cloud Practitioner certification for IT and data students.
• Obtaining CPR and First Aid certification for healthcare students.

Key numbers:

• Certified candidates can earn 5-20% more in starting salaries (CompTIA).

Final Note

Using these 10 strategies—internships, part-time jobs, freelancing, leadership, research, volunteering, co-ops, personal projects, job shadowing, and certifications—will prepare you practically, build your professional network, and clarify your career goals.