<p>I graduated in May 2012 and have been having a really hard time ever since. In my field, even the most entry level jobs require 3-5 years of very specific, relevant work experience. I worked all through college (retail, nannying, etc.), but my only experience relevant to the field was a one-semester internship my senior year. That hasn't been enough to get me any offers. </p>
<p>I'm working in retail right now, just to bring in some income, but I'm desperate to get into my field, so I'm hoping to find a flexible internship that I can do on my days off. I'm not really sure how to go about it, though. Most of the official internships you see online are strictly for college students. I'm thinking I might just have to go directly to the employers and ask them.</p>
<p>Has anyone had an experience with finding internships or other forms of unpaid work post-graduation? Any advice or ideas of how to go about it?</p>
<p>(If it makes a difference, my degree is in Health Care Administration, so the employers we're talking about are mostly hospitals and larger medical practices.)</p>
<p>Join the club, lol.</p>
<p>Look for paid internships. Craigslist can be a good place for internships, especially in a populated region that uses it. Just be wary of scammers, though…</p>
<p>Still, I think you should have enough experience. I’ve done several internships and still hampered by not having “real” experience, and I never worked during college, which I believe is a big leg-up (like having an internship in itself, since its always applicable experience, or you can always BS it is). Just keep plugging in, really.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your success with internship. Its shocking that after your graduate you have no words in an internship world anymore.</p>
<p>Some of these are just open to current students, but some allow for those who have finished within the last 6-12 months.</p>
<p>U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
[Opportunities</a> for College Graduates | HHS.gov](<a href=“http://www.hhs.gov/careers/internships/index.html]Opportunities”>http://www.hhs.gov/careers/internships/index.html)</p>
<p>World Health Organization
[WHO</a> | World Health Organization](<a href=“http://www.who.int/employment/vacancies/en/]WHO”>http://www.who.int/employment/vacancies/en/)
[WHO</a> | WHO Internship Programme](<a href=“http://www.who.int/employment/internship/en/]WHO”>http://www.who.int/employment/internship/en/)
[WHO</a> | Junior Professional Programme](<a href=“http://www.who.int/employment/jpo/en/]WHO”>http://www.who.int/employment/jpo/en/)</p>
<p>UNC Healthcare
[Administrative</a> Internship Program — Be Respected. Be Appreciated. Be Empowered.](<a href=“http://www.unchealthcare.org/site/humanresources/careers/opportunities/internship]Administrative”>http://www.unchealthcare.org/site/humanresources/careers/opportunities/internship)</p>
<p>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
[CDC</a> - Internships - Opportunities - Minority Health](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/internships.html]CDC”>http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/internships.html)</p>
<p>The Global Fund
[Internships</a> - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria](<a href=“http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/employment/internships/]Internships”>http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/employment/internships/)</p>
<p>The White House (specifically, the Domestic Policy Council / Health or the Office of National AIDS Policy)
[Presidential</a> Department Descriptions | The White House](<a href=“http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/departments]Presidential”>http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/departments)</p>
<p>The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
[Student</a> Internship Program | The White House](<a href=“http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ondcp-internship-intro]Student”>http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ondcp-internship-intro)</p>
<p>Most Congressional offices have a healthcare legislative assistant (LA) on staff, especially in light of Obamacare. You could apply to your Congressional office or Senatorial Offices and request to be paired with the LA who specializes in health care.</p>
<p>U.S. Department of State: Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator
[Programs</a> - U.S. Department of State](<a href=“http://careers.state.gov/students/programs]Programs”>http://careers.state.gov/students/programs)</p>
<p>U.S. AID
[Student</a> Internships | U.S. Agency for International Development](<a href=“http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/careers/hiring-mechanisms/student-internships]Student”>http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/careers/hiring-mechanisms/student-internships)</p>
<p>Veterans Administration
[Graduate</a> Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP): Administrative Residents/Fellows](<a href=“http://mycareeratva.va.gov/Careerpath/Internships/Pages/GHATP-AdministrativeResidentsFellows.aspx]Graduate”>http://mycareeratva.va.gov/Careerpath/Internships/Pages/GHATP-AdministrativeResidentsFellows.aspx)</p>
<p>Wow, what a great list. Thank you.</p>
<p>I say this in every post, but it’s vital advice, so I’ll say it again. Get on LinkedIn, connect with hundreds of relevant people, and send your resume to hundreds of recruiters / staffers, etc. Do this EVERY SINGLE DAY. Eventually one of them will probably get you a job.</p>
<p>Thanks. I’m on LinkedIn, but will definitely look into how to improve my profile.</p>
<p>Not just ‘improve your profile’, but also connect to hundreds of relevant people on there.</p>