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College Major, Internship Experience, and Employment Opportunities: Estimates from a Résumé Audit

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Listed:
  • John M. Nunley
  • Adam Pugh
  • Nicholas Romero
  • Richard Alan Seals, Jr.

Abstract

We use experimental data from a résumé-audit study to estimate the impact of particular college majors and internship experience on employment opportunities. Our experimental design relies on the randomization of résumé characteristics to identify the causal effects of these attributes on job opportunities. Despite applying exclusively to business-related job openings, we find no evidence that business degrees improve employment prospects. Furthermore, we find no evidence linking particular degrees to interview-request rates. By contrast, internship experience increases the interview-request rate by about 14 percent. In addition, the “returns” to internship experience are larger for non-business majors than for business majors.

Suggested Citation

  • John M. Nunley & Adam Pugh & Nicholas Romero & Richard Alan Seals, Jr., 2014. "College Major, Internship Experience, and Employment Opportunities: Estimates from a Résumé Audit," Auburn Economics Working Paper Series auwp2014-03, Department of Economics, Auburn University.
    • Handle: RePEc:abn:wpaper:auwp2014-03
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    College Major; Internship; Employment; Field Experiments; Correspondence Studies; Résumé Audit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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