Landing a First Job

Q. I am graduating from a prestigious liberal-arts college this May with a degree in women’s studies. I have some internship experience, and I am interested in entering the nonprofit field in the human-rights area. I’ve been searching for jobs online, but am usually only able to find jobs that require experience. How can I go about finding an entry-level position?

A. Don’t sell yourself short. If you have internship experience, you might be qualified for more than an entry-level job, says Mari K. Bonthuis, political organizer and intern coordinator at Minnesota NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League), in St. Paul. She says that she got her job right after graduation, through contacts she made at the last of her three college internships. Ms. Bonthuis also suggests you check out smaller nonprofit organizations that might be willing to give you more responsibility as an entry-level person.

When you’re searching through online job listings, it’s a good idea to hit a couple of job-listing Web sites that allow you to filter listings by entry-level status, such as Sustainable Business.com and ACCESS Jobs, or the Philanthropy Careers job listings, which can be searched for the words “entry level.” (Soon, you will be able to filter those listings for “early career” jobs requiring zero to three years’ experience.) Additionally, since you have a degree in women’s studies, you might want to take a peek at the classifieds in local newspapers or other publications that focus on women’s issues. Ms. Bonthuis says that her organization, for example, often lists open positions in Minnesota Women’s Press, a local special-interest newspaper.

But don’t limit yourself to job listings — make as many face-to-face contacts as possible, says Melanie I. Myers, director of recruiting and staffing at Save the Children U.S., in Westport, Conn. She suggests attending forums, or setting up some informational interviews, in which you meet with an employer simply to learn what it’s like to work for a particular organization. And consider “auditioning” for a job through volunteer work or internships, routes many young people take into entry-level charity jobs. If you’re financially able, a long-term internship or volunteer experience right after college, such as a tour with the Peace Corps, can also help make you a stronger candidate, says Ms. Myers.

For more information on finding an entry-level job, also look for Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don’t Have a Leg to Stand On, by Rob Sullivan (Contemporary Books, 2001, $12.95). And good luck!