What’s Happening to Internship Programs and Full-Time Roles in Wake of COVID-19

Mid-May typically marks the start of a new influx of entry-level employees and interns into the workforce. But in the wake of COVID-19, students’ professional plans have been subject to delayed starts, a transition to remote work, or cancellation altogether. In early April, RippleMatch conducted a survey of 2,210 college students across 367 universities to determine the status of internship programs and full-time roles for today’s college graduates, as well as how these statuses vary by industry. 

The good news is that most companies intend to maintain their entry-level and internship programs, albeit in a different format than originally intended. Almost half of survey respondents (46%) indicated that their entry-level jobs and internships would be held remotely. Another 6% of students said their internship program would be shortened, and 8% said the start date for their full-time role would be delayed. Only 16% confirmed that their job offers were rescinded or that their internship was canceled.

However, not all employers have been diligent about providing entry-level hires and interns with an update. According to the survey, as of early April, 24% of respondents have not received communications from their prospective employer about the status of their job or internship. This leaves students in a state of limbo about whether they need to continue with their job search, relocate, or otherwise prepare for their secured position.

The likelihood of entry-level jobs and internships moving forward, being delayed, or being canceled also varies by industry. Some types of jobs lend themselves more readily to remote work than others. At least half of respondents in the fields of finance, research, and software engineering will be starting their positions remotely, compared to only 11% of respondents in manufacturing and 25% in design. In fact, both design and manufacturing were among the fields most likely to have a job offer rescinded or internship program cancelled. Interns in marketing and research/lab were also unlucky, with roughly one in five respondents reporting that their program was cancelled. The field least likely to have received an update at all is teaching, with half of respondents yet to hear from their prospective employer. 

Even with these setbacks, college students and recent graduates are eager to move forward with their professional plans. Now is the time for companies who are still hiring to reach a new crop of prospective employees.

To find out more about how entry-level roles and internships were impacted at the onset of COVID-19, download our Navigating Entry-level Jobs & Internships During COVID-19 report.