Recent graduates looking for work in 2025 understand one truth above all else: It’s tough out there. The job market, especially for young people, has been roiled by economic uncertainty and swift technological change. Job seekers are chasing a declining number of opportunities.
The next wave of prospective employees, now in high school and college, are justifiably concerned. They want to know what they can do to maximize their future career success.
We suggest a summer internship.
Internships can provide graduates with a powerful advantage right when they need it most — at the start of their careers. Interns have an almost 25% greater chance of landing a full-time position within six months of graduating, according to data from LinkedIn. Another study indicates that those with internship experience command higher salaries.
It’s easy to see why. Interns gain in-demand skills, while building their confidence and independence. They develop professional networks that can open doors to career opportunities.
We started our nonprofit, Higher Up, two years ago because we believe in the enduring power of the internship. Our organization coordinates meaningful paid internships for students and graduates of East Windsor Regional School District to ensure that they have access to strong career development opportunities, regardless of background.
Higher Up has built a people-focused process.
First, we work with local students to understand their ideas, passions, and visions for their futures. We prepare them for the rigors of a job by hosting workshops that teach essential professional and personal skills — from understanding workplace expectations, cultures and strategies to building a personal brand, crafting impactful resumes and performing well in interviews.
Then we look to find their best-fit summer jobs – right in their hometown community. And we assign each intern a dedicated student/partner coordinator who conducts regular check-ins to assess fit, address needs, note progress and facilitate evaluations.
For students in need, we provide a transportation fund to help them get to and from work, as well as access to technology and stipends for professional attire.
At the same time, we are out in the community, creating placement opportunities by growing partnerships with local businesses, skilled tradespeople, and corporations.
It works. In 2024, we placed 30 students — 17 Hightstown High School students, four Mercer County Technical School/HHS students, eight college students and one post-college individual. In partnership with Mercer County’s Summer Youth Jobs Connection, as funded by a grant from the NJ Department of Labor, Higher up generated $96,000 in wages for Hightstown and East Windsor students.
Gia, a sophomore majoring in veterinary science at Cornell University, spent the summer working at Princeton Animal Hospital and Carnegie Cat Clinic. Her experience was typical of all our interns: “I’ve gained so much insight into what this career actually looks like day-to-day,” she told us. “It’s a lot more hands-on than I expected, and that’s made me fall even more in love with the profession. Before starting, I was a bit unsure, but now I’m confident this is the path I want to pursue after college.”
This year, 35 students have been placed at various internships including The New School for Music Study, Mercer County Family Support Organization, Plainsboro Preserve, and Princeton University. One intern will be working for Assemblywoman Tennille R. McCoy, whose successful sponsorship of a new bill ensuring that interns working in the state legislature receive pay represents a huge step toward equity and access for young people entering politics and public service.
Assemblywoman McCoy’s intern, Blessing, is a rising junior at Hightstown High School. She hopes to major in political science on a pre-law track in college with a possible minor or double major in journalism. Blessing’s internship is a testament to Higher Up’s intentionality in job placements.
Working with these great young people inspires everyone at Higher Up to expand our program as we transition from primarily a self-funded program to a financially sustainable nonprofit. The need is certainly there. Employers are increasingly requiring young job candidates to have prior real-world experience — especially internships.
These are more than the “summer jobs” of years past. As brand-new intern Blessing told us, “This is the start to a career.”
Wendy McDade and Rosa Prada-Rodriguez are the co-founders and leaders of Higher Up, a Hightstown-based nonprofit.
