The gatekeeping of entry-level positions

Access to entry-level jobs and internships is becoming more difficult every year

Baylynne Brunetti & Jenny Han / Asst. Opinion Editors / The USD Vista

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has drastically changed many aspects of students’ lives. One of these is a crucial aspect of the college student experience: finding entry-level jobs and internships. Although obtaining these jobs and internships is notoriously difficult during times of normalcy, the pandemic has added an additional barrier that has made it even more difficult to do so. COVID-19 highlights how inaccessible entry-level positions are, and that needs to change. 

Many jobs and internships weed out inexperienced workers by requiring at least one to two years of experience in the respective field. Among the few that don’t require experience, even getting past the application phase is near impossible.

Countless students know the struggle and stress of obtaining that first job. We spend months searching, applying, and waiting for responses from countless companies and industries. The majority of the time, we get zero updates on the status of those applications. It’s considered a miracle if even one company follows up to offer an interview. It begs the question: how are people supposed to get experience in their field if no place or program is offering to give it to them? 

This difficulty of obtaining an entry-level job is important to highlight because future higher-paying jobs that are relevant to one’s degree depend on experience. These already competitive firms aren’t going to hire inexperienced workers. And even if they do offer internship opportunities, it doesn’t guarantee that students will be correctly compensated for them. 

Entry-level positions and internships infamously don’t pay well; salary is usually around minimum wage. Many of these first internships, or internships in general, are unpaid. 

Unpaid internships serve to exclude marginalized groups. For students who are putting themselves through college with zero parental support, it is not feasible to work for free. Additionally, internships are profoundly difficult to obtain because to make any applicant competitive for graduate school, it is essential to serve in an internship position. 

At some community colleges, career pathways have been created to afford students the opportunity to have access to internships.  One example for students interested in law is the Pathway to Law School. This program serves as a vessel for students at community college to receive assistance and guidance to eventually transfer to a four year institution and go to law school. These types of programs are essential for students coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds so they can have a fighting chance to attend law school.

There are many lawyers in the field who are well aware of the disparities taking place in the legal realm and are fighting to create programs similar to the Pathway so that students can get an opportunity. 

However, it still does not address that students coming from these marginalized groups may not have the privilege to take on an unpaid internship. Designing a program that creates a fund for students to work an unpaid internship would be a great way to bridge this gap; something USD does for summer internships if you apply. 

If we want to create more inclusivity in the legal field — and elsewhere — it is critical we address the problematic issue that is unpaid internships. So many students cannot accept free work and it should be a crime to allow for students to have to work these unpaid jobs that are often extremely demanding. 

More often than not, interns are the backbone of the company or firm and are doing the grunt work for those who reap the profits. Companies mask this by giving “academic credit” to those working as interns, but academic credit does not pay the bills. 

It is time we acknowledge that unpaid internships are classist at their core and do not serve as inclusive entities. 

Jobs and internships are important for people to get ahead in their careers. But more importantly, they serve as a pivotal moment in one’s character and outlook on the world. 

We need to make it easier for people to have that opportunity so that we can all succeed. 

The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.