Before starting an entry-level job, you should have some experience.

According to a recent review of over 4 million job ads on LinkedIn since late 2017, 35% of “entry-level” job postings required years of prior relevant work experience.

In some businesses, this necessity was much more widespread. For example, more than 60% of entry-level software and IT Services advertisements required three or more years of expertise. In short, it appears that entry-level positions aren’t for folks who are just starting out in the workforce.

The emergence of internships

Internships are currently the standard entry-level position. More young people are fleshing out their resumes before they even leave university, thanks to an ever-expanding internship industry. This has several implications for the entry-level job market.

• First, companies can save money by delegating work to interns rather than paying junior employees; the more interns a company has, the fewer entry-level positions it is likely to create.

• Second, because applicants with one or more internships on their resumes are plentiful, those without internship experience are left out in the cold.

The computerised office

Internships aren’t the only thing that’s taken the place of entry-level jobs. Many of them have been phased out in recent decades as new tools and technology have been developed to perform the same tasks – but without pay.

What’s left at the “entry-level” are professions that need more interpersonal interactions, higher-level duties, or customer-facing tasks, which many employers are hesitant to entrust to a recent graduate.