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Do big name employers mind if your previous internships were not at big name companies?

I was wondering how HR takes into consideration the locations of where their applicants worked at, and whether working at a small company would matter? (eg. a Marketing Intern for Small Company vs. General Intern for Big Company with some transferrable skills and/or Marketing Intern position from 5-6 years ago)

#humanresources #internships #marketing #publicrelations #evaluating-resumes

marketing internships publicrelations evaluating-resumes humanresources
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Carolyn’s Answer

In my experience, it doesn't always matter where you interned - it's the relevant experience that matters. While all hiring managers have different sets of expectations and requirements, I always look for someone that took the initiative to experience an internship, and then review the type of experience garnered during that time.


When I was in college, I did two internships at PR agencies, which were pretty large. After graduating, I decided that PR was no longer my preferred career path, and instead pursued a career in advertising. My internships were still relevant, because they were at an agency that serviced clients, so the experience was quite relevant in an account management position. As my first boss once told me - advertising is easy. It's learning your clients business that takes time.

Carolyn recommends the following next steps:

I would suggest you identify the big companies you want to work at and identify what position you would apply for
Ensure your internship experience provided relevant knowledge for that position. Even if it didn't, you can still cite that you know how to navigate a smaller company and know that you can figure out how to navigate a company of X size
Thank you comment icon Carolyn - Your answer is great. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with Tanya! At this moment there are more than 1k unanswered questions so I want to encourage you to keep going! So many students will benefit tremendously from hearing from you. Keep up the great work! Jordan Rivera, Admin COACH
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Victoria’s Answer

Hi Tanya, This is a super question.


Basically an employer wants to know that you are a good fit for their job and that you either have the specific skills or you have transferable experience(s) that they believe will make you successful. It is very valuable to put yourself in the potential employers shoes. What do I mean?


Look very carefully at each job description requirements and see how your experiences answer the employer's needs. Many times candidates don't pay attention to the actual details and get eliminated early. Employers are looking for actual skills and how well you articulate what you did. Many times you can get these skills at smaller companies because the reality is to get the job done you have to wear many hats. This is a great opportunity to learn and gain experience. The key is how you convey this on your resume/application and in the interview. You can also have great experiences at a big company: be sure to complete all your assignments and reassess with your supervisor(s) during and after each assignment. Again how you communicate the experience gained to a future employer is important. Location may or may not be important - it really depends on your industry and specific situation. As a potential employer, I would be more focused on your skill set unless there was a specific regional or local based skill that was needed for the job - like a language, knowledge of a specific city/culture, or experience at a specific company that has a unique product or service.


Here are some additional steps to help you develop job search and application skills.

Victoria recommends the following next steps:

Look at each job request/description and write each key skill required on the left side of your table (use a word or excel table or a sheet of paper divided in half). Then compare this skill to your experience on the right side of your table. If you have a gap, that's okay, see if you have another skill that might be leveraged, a course you took, or a volunteer experience that might apply. Never make up experience or misrepresent experience.
Pretend to interview yourself: what questions would a potential employer ask you about your experience? What did you learn at each job? How does your experience or skill set meet the needs of the employer? How does the potential job fit with your interests, talents, and skills? Then ask yourself: how will this job build my career? Imagine where you will be in one - three years if you get the job.
Be sure to proofread anything you send to a potential employer. Remember spelling is a super power and represents you before you ever get that interview with a potential employer. Good luck, you will be great :)
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Guadalupe’s Answer

Employers do not care about how big a company you interned at is, what matters is your ability to show that you actually learned from the internship and can transfer those skills to your work. Additionally, it is your job to prove that you have the necessary experience and skills necessary to fit the role the company is looking for you to fulfill. During an interview, you determine whether the employer finds you as a great candidate. A great tip is for you to look at the job description and connect what they are looking for to the skills and knowledge you have.
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Simeon’s Answer

Most employer's will not do the research into the size of the company that you did an internship at. They usually look over your resume pretty quickly to see what your qualifications are and any internship is a big step up from no internship at all. List all the activities you did in your internship and make sure to use assertive action words/phrases in your descriptions.
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Nina’s Answer

Hi Tanya,


I think you have some great answers here, and just want to elaborate that what matters more is the skills you learn, not if your company has a big name or not. When I was applying for jobs out of college, the questions I got from hiring managers were more about my relevant experience, and how I could apply the skills I had learned to this new role.


I would focus on getting internships that help you build skills in the areas that you're interested in.
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Rachel’s Answer

Concentrate on the valuable skills you've acquired, rather than the size of the company you've worked for. Working for a smaller firm can be a blessing in disguise, as it often allows you to dive deeper into your role and broaden your skill set, compared to a larger corporation.
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