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How to land your first job or internship

By the USA Jobs 24 team · Updated November 1, 2026

Your first job is the hardest to get, because so many postings ask for experience. The good news: large employers hire thousands of interns, new grads and career starters every year, and they plan for it.

Know the calendar

  • Summer internships at large companies are often filled in the fall and winter before the summer, so start looking early in the school year.
  • New grad programs often open in late summer and fall for graduates starting the following year.
  • Smaller employers and many non-tech roles hire year-round, a few weeks before the start date.

Where to look

  • Company careers pages. Our entry-level jobs page collects internships, new grad, apprentice and trainee roles from the employers we track.
  • Your college career center and campus job platforms such as Handshake, plus career fairs.
  • Apprenticeships and rotational programs, which pay you while you learn.

Build experience you can show

  • Projects: a portfolio, a GitHub repository, a case study or a small business you ran.
  • Part-time and campus jobs. Customer service, retail and leadership roles teach skills employers value.
  • Volunteering, competitions, hackathons and relevant coursework.

Apply smart, not just often

  • Apply even if you meet most, but not all, of the "preferred" requirements.
  • Tailor your resume for each role: our resume guide explains how.
  • Reach out to alumni and recruiters on LinkedIn with a short, specific note. A referral can move your application up the pile.
  • Track every application, date and contact in a simple spreadsheet so you can follow up.

Watch out for "entry-level" scams

New job seekers are a favorite target of fake recruiters. A real employer will not hire you after a chat-only interview, send you a check to buy equipment, or charge you for training. Read our job scam safety guide.

Openings you can apply for now

  • Software Engineer Intern, 2027 Summer U.S.

    Atlassian

    From day one, you will be a valued part of our development team, trusted to make changes to code that directly impact our products, while gaining deep technical knowledge in full lifecycle…

    • San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA
    New Internship

  • AI Researcher (PhD), 2027 Graduate U.S.

    Atlassian

    Join our cutting-edge Machine Learning Research team at Atlassian where you'll have the opportunity to work on advanced Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies…

    • San Francisco, CA
    • Remote
    New Entry level

  • AI Research Intern (PhD), 2027 Summer U.S.

    Atlassian

    Collaborate cross-functionally with Research Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers to design, implement, and evaluate experiments that advance the performance, efficiency, and…

    • San Francisco, CA
    • Remote
    • $59 an hour
    New Internship

  • Data Engineer, 2027 Graduate U.S

    Atlassian

    This position is not eligible for F1 and J1 students. It is not available for any work sponsorship.

    • Seattle, WA
    New Entry level

  • Data Engineer Intern, 2027 Summer U.S.

    Atlassian

    This position is not eligible for F1 and J1 students. It is not available for any work sponsorship. Our paid internship program runs for 12 weeks between May/June - August/September 2027.

    • Seattle, WA
    • Remote
    New Internship

  • Data Scientist, 2027 Graduate U.S.

    Atlassian

    Develop data-driven hypotheses to identify new opportunities and apply rigorous statistical methodology to evaluate product experiments, feature rollouts and user behavior.

    • Seattle, WA
    • Remote
    New Entry level