A co-op program provides students a valuable experience through a paid position at a company in their fields of interest, while interns receive the same experience, but as a volunteer. These programs are a good way for a company to check out a student and for the student to find out if they are interested. There are other steps a grad can take to stand out from the rest. You should try to explain how any experience relates to the job. To illustrate his point, Erdlen pointed to the example of a college graduate who was a waiter or waitress while going to school.
Entry level can mean a variety of things, depending on the industry and company.
For instance, many companies in the software industry are still in the early stages of growth and require workers with years of experience, which leaves little room in the budget for entry level positions. Chelmsford-based Frontier Software, privately held since 1984 and in the midst of tremendous growth, is more typical of software companies in the area. Graduates can also check out companies that visit their campuses and discuss employment opportunities. Cognex is involved in recruitment programs at colleges throughout the country, including Carnegie Mellon University, Brown University, and locally, Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. We go to career fairs at the schools and visit the campuses and talk to students.