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Work-Related Experience Gains Market Edge

New college graduates looking for a job will likely have an edge over their competition if they have participated in an internship or otherwise gained work-related experience, reveals a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Approximately 95% of the organizations responding to NACE’s Job Outlook 2008 survey indicate that candidate experience plays a key role in their hiring decisions. In fact, more than three-quarters are most interested in relevant work experience, but nearly 20% give candidates points for any type of work experience. On the question of how the experience is gained, respondents were divided. “Slightly more than half of employers told us that they didn’t have a preference on how the candidate gets experience, but nearly as many—47%—said they prefer candidates to gain their experience through an internship or cooperative education program,” says NACE executive director, Marilyn Mackes. In addition, results of a separate NACE study show that employers are placing more emphasis on internship and cooperative education programs to “grow” their own employees—looking first to their own interns when they have job opportunities. “Not only does participation in an internship make the student a more attractive candidate, but also it can be an avenue to a job,” adds Mackes.