Rigid Hiring Rules
One of my second-year students attended an event, hoping to land an internship at one of the companies that were presenting themselves.
As he talked with the recruiter, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Both were becoming more enthusiastic by the minute: the student excited about the opportunity, and the company impressed by the student’s skills. Things were going so well that it looked like my student might leave the event with an internship in his pocket.
Only some paperwork remained. The recruiter had one last question about the student's education. Proudly, the student explained that he was enrolled in a two-year associate degree and was eager to get started on his internship—the final step before graduation.
The moment he mentioned "associate degree," the recruiter's expression changed, darkened.
"Oh, you're in an associate degree program? No bachelor's? Sorry, then. The deal’s off. My boss only wants bachelor’s students because of the complexity of the internship."
In that moment, the student was too stunned to argue and left the company’s booth, shoulders down low, feeling very disappointed.
And I get this student's reaction. I absolutely do. What I can’t understand is this rigid attitude of companies. Even if a student seems like a perfect fit, as was the case here, a missing checkmark on a form can be enough to lose a promising opportunity. There’s no flexibility, no creativity in the company's approach—just cold, spreadsheet-based management.
Companies could benefit so much by getting off these outdated, rigid selection criteria and focusing on a student’s abilities instead. A student's program shouldn’t define their internship chances. Instead, their portfolio, the projects they’ve worked on, and their skills should be the defining factor.
There’s a whole world to win if companies adopt a more open-minded approach. Let this post be the first step toward a better, fairer selection process.