Why Aren’t Long-Term Internships Valued in Recruitment? The Real Reason Class of 2027 Students Must Know and How to Win

Hello! This is TJ, founder of Alpha College.

I constantly receive questions from Class of 2027 students preparing for recruitment, especially about building their college achievements. Among them, the most common is participation in long-term internships.
Many expect that “joining a long-term internship will give me an edge,” but based on my experience, long-term internships done just to fill up your college achievements are hardly valued by employers.

In this article, I’ll share the reality of job hunting and long-term internships, and how students can truly make their college years stand out. I will explain step by step what kinds of internships fail to help and what kinds of activities really set you apart.

4 Reasons Why Long-Term Internships Don’t Stand Out in Class of 2027 Recruitment

At first glance, long-term internships may seem like the royal road to success. And indeed, they are not inherently negative. However, in real hiring situations, they surprisingly fail to make an impact.

Why? Because with so many students presenting similar experiences, differentiation becomes nearly impossible.
One of the most common concerns I hear is: “I worked hard on internships and other achievements, but I still didn’t get an offer.” Here are the main reasons:

1. Lack of differentiation: Long-term internships have become the default student activity. Recruiters often think, “Here we go again,” and the uniqueness fades. Especially for the Class of 2027, where early recruiting is increasing, employers expect experiences that don’t overlap with the crowd.
2. Lack of initiative: What companies truly value are leadership and decision-making. Yet many internships boil down to following instructions, making it hard to demonstrate genuine growth.
3. Shallow content: Most internships revolve around routine tasks like data entry or research support. These don’t translate into measurable outcomes, leaving no lasting impression in interviews.
4. Lack of real skills: Many students finish long-term internships without building meaningful skills or even basic professional habits. Recruiters then wonder, “What did this person actually learn?” This can backfire, lowering your evaluation.

All of these issues stem from being satisfied with simply “having the experience.” Looking back, the students who were rated highly always had a clear sense of why they joined that internship and what they truly gained from it.

Why “Internships Just to Build Achievements” Backfire in Recruitment

Digging deeper, the biggest reason long-term internships don’t work is a mismatch with your personal values. If you force yourself to continue in a field you don’t care about, motivation drops and results are poor.
For example, spending months chasing numbers in a sales internship without a clear reason makes it difficult to communicate passion in interviews.

In job hunting, the mindset of “I’ll do this to have something to show” often backfires.
Employers look for a consistent career vision, not just a pile of random experiences. Considering how competitive things will be for the Class of 2027, playing it safe is risky. Activities misaligned with your values will ultimately be dismissed as “empty stories.”

How Class of 2027 Students Can Stand Out: Leadership and Business-Related Activities

So, how can you build strengths that truly impress recruiters?
The key is to choose activities aligned with your values, take on leadership roles, and create tangible results. Instead of relying on internships, shift to impactful business-related extracurriculars. Here are concrete steps:

First, clarify your values. For example: “I want to solve social issues,” or “I want to scale a business.” Then, choose activities that match and commit fully.

・Join business competitions: Gain experience turning ideas into reality while leading a team. Achievements like awards and strong presentations make powerful points.
・Lead a student organization or club: Take responsibility for events and ensure success. Demonstrating impact with numbers (attendance, revenue) impresses recruiters.
・Engage in overseas volunteer work or entrepreneurial projects: Build global perspective and innovation skills while tying the experience to your career goals.

The critical factor is acting with initiative. Start something new, launch a project, or rally others to expand it. When activities are grounded in your values, your initiative becomes clear.
In interviews, if you can explain “why I chose this activity” and “how I overcame challenges,” employers will listen.

What Class of 2027 Students Must Do Now to Win at Recruitment

Long-term internships often fail because they don’t differentiate you and don’t convey leadership or alignment with your values. The Class of 2027 must stop doing activities “just to fill up achievements” and instead build genuine strengths through business-related extracurriculars. That’s the real key to getting hired.

If you feel uncertain about your job-hunting strategy, consult Alpha College’s one-on-one coaching.
With 17 years of proven results, I—drawing on my experience at Sumitomo Corporation, Chicago Booth MBA, and Goldman Sachs IBD—will rigorously train you for success. For a decisive win in recruitment, join Alpha College’s personalized coaching now!

Free Consultation Here! ＞ Free Consultation

For details of our advisory program with numerous offers from global firms, trading companies, asset managers, and hedge funds, click here! ＞ Alpha Advisors Job Hunting Support to succeed in your job hunting at McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, P&G, and Apple!

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TJ Profile

TJ: Formerly with Sumitomo Corporation, where he worked in the Corporate Accounting Department overseeing budgeting, financial reporting, and performance management for over 800 domestic and overseas group companies, as well as IR (Investor Relations) activities. Selected as the youngest trainee for Sumitomo Corporation of America (New York), where he contributed to the restructuring of a U.S. electric arc furnace steel business invested in by Sumitomo. Later joined the Project Finance Department, where he was engaged in arranging large-scale financings for infrastructure projects in developing countries and financing for Jupiter Telecommunications. Selected as a company-sponsored candidate for overseas MBA programs.

Earned his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Management. Founder of the University of Chicago Japanese Association. Initiated and executed the school’s first-ever “Japan Trip”, which has since become an annual tradition.

Subsequently joined Goldman Sachs Japan’s Investment Banking Division, where he advised on numerous M&A transactions in the media and consumer sectors, supported capital raising including IPOs, and worked on private equity investments and corporate restructuring assignments.

Selected as one of only six fellows (out of over 200 applicants) for the 4th Entrepreneurial Leadership Program of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), where he received mentorship from leading entrepreneurs including Hideo Sawada, Chairman of H.I.S.

Served as President of the Chicago Booth Alumni Association in Japan (2006–2010). Has guided numerous candidates to admission at top MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, and other leading schools in the U.S., Europe, and Asia), graduate schools, universities, and boarding schools. Track record of placing students at leading global firms including Mitsubishi Corporation, McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Google, Big 4 consulting/FAS, Dentsu, Toyota, MUFG Bank, Nomura Securities, among others.

Renowned for his rigorous one-on-one coaching for TOEFL, GMAT, IELTS, and GRE, with a reputation for pushing candidates to fully complete their preparation. Highly regarded for his ability to design and achieve career and academic goals with unmatched quality and precision. As a result, he is in high demand as an advisor, with numerous requests to work directly under his guidance.