Starting out · Shelf
US: apprenticeships, internships, graduate jobs and the first paycheck
For readers in the United States: registered apprenticeships, internships, rotational programs, the new grad resume, the 2026 market, STAR interviews, starting salaries, student loan plans after July 2026, the W-4, at-will employment, the 401(k) match, and OPT and the H-1B.
13 guides65 minutes of reading
On this shelf
- How do apprenticeship programs work in the US?How registered apprenticeships are built, who sponsors them, the main trades and their pay, and how to find one.
- How do I get an apprenticeship in the US?Application windows, the aptitude test, pre-apprenticeships, the interview and what to do when waitlisted.
- How do I get an internship as a college student in the US?The recruiting calendar, where internships really come from, paid against unpaid and the conversion rate to offers.
- What is a rotational program and is it worth joining?The structure of leadership development programs, who runs them, pay, how to get in and when to say no.
- How do I write a new grad resume?One page, education first, bullets as results and the formatting that gets past screening software.
- I graduated and have no job. What should I do?The 2026 numbers for recent graduates, a twelve-week structure, the week-six check and the loan grace period.
- How do I use the STAR method in an interview?The proportions of a STAR answer and three worked examples from a group project, a café shift and a lab.
- What's the average starting salary for a college graduate?NACE 2026 projections by major, why real first jobs pay less and how to use the data in a negotiation.
- Which student loan repayment plan should I choose?RAP, the standard plan and IBR after July 2026, how RAP calculates payments and how to choose.
- How do I fill out a W-4, and why is my first paycheck so small?The W-4 step by step, what comes out of a paycheck, a worked $60,000 example and how to check the math.
- What does at-will employment mean for me?What at-will means, the illegal exceptions, what probation periods really govern and how to protect yourself.
- How does a 401(k) match work, and how much should I contribute?Match formulas, vesting, the 2026 limits, Roth against traditional and what to set in your first week.
- How do OPT and the H-1B work for international graduates?OPT and STEM OPT timelines and limits, cap-gap, the wage-weighted H-1B lottery and a plan with a backup.
469 guides on 55 shelves. Each one starts with the short answer and ends with one thing to try.
How we write and check our guides