ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses questions about participation in graduate internships through data from a survey of creative and communications graduates several years after graduation from a subsample of UK universities. The data forms part of a wider study of the role of graduate internships in the labour market. The chapter looks at participation in paid and unpaid internships and explores the role of social class in determining who has access to different types of early labour market opportunities. The research finds that the factors related to participation in internships largely reflect measures of social and cultural capital, and of both 'hard' and 'soft' currencies of employability. Hard currencies defined as including various kinds of credentials such as educational credentials and work experiences, and soft currencies comprised of more nebulous qualities such as personal skills, appearance, drive, self-confidence, and charisma. Degree classification, institution prestige, and previous placement experience increase chances of doing an internship.
