Get Real Work Experience | LEAF Lab
Future of Work Intelligence · LEAF Lab Research

Get Real Work Experience
While You're Still in School.

The employers have spoken. Experience beats pedigree. Durable skills beat GPA. If you want to build both before you graduate, this is for you.

Real Work, Not Busy Work Durable Skills Open to All Students

The transition from classroom to workplace remains one of the biggest gaps in higher education. NACE reports a clear and persistent disconnect between academic preparation and employer expectations for day-one readiness.

52% of college graduates are underemployed in their first job. Now is the time to stack the odds ever in your favor.

National Graduate Employment Data
The Real Problem

Scarcity Is a Choice the Hiring System Made — Not a Law of Nature

The Pipeline Is Broken
More interested students than available internships Career services are exceptional partners, but building a world-class experiential program from scratch takes years Scarcity protects the status quo — not students
The Resume Is Fading
Students use AI to write resumes Employers use AI to screen them Algorithms talking to algorithms — with bias in the middle Smart employers are shifting to demonstrated capability
The Degree Alone Won't Cut It
Pedigree and GPA are losing their filter power Employers want proof of what you can do AI capability, agile skills, and certified competencies are the new currency
The Stakes

Experiential Learning Is Now the Deciding Factor

97%
of employers say experiential learning is the most valuable thing on a student's resume — more than major, GPA, or extracurriculars combined
The LEAF Lab is a safe environment where there are no failures — only experiments. Students work on real company projects, but the process is designed so they explore, ideate, and develop strategy before they ever touch execution. They get to think big, test ideas, and build professional instincts in a space where iteration is expected and learning is the whole point.
When opportunity is gated, talent gets wasted. We don't cap access. Instead, we've democratized the whole thing and we let in all students who are serious about gaining this experience.

We Didn't Optimize the Broken System. We Rebuilt It.

The Old Way
✕ Competitive gating: more students than spots, opportunity rationed
✕ AI-written resumes don't set anyone apart
✕ Internships where students only do repetitive tasks
✕ Graduates enter the workforce unprepared — employers are publicly saying so
The LEAF Lab Way
✓ Open access — any student who applies gets a real shot
✓ Evaluated on what you can do, not what your resume says you did
✓ Work on real client deliverables; earn agile certifications
✓ Students leave workplace-ready — with portfolios to prove it

Choosing Between Equally Qualified Candidates

Influence of Attributes · NACE Job Outlook 2026

2026 Avg Influence Rating
2025 Avg Influence Rating
5-point scale · Source: NACE Job Outlook 2026
Completed internship with your org
4.5
4.4
Has internship experience in your industry
4.3
4.3
Major
3.8
4.0
Has general work experience
3.6
3.8
Has held leadership positions
3.5
3.4
Involved in extracurriculars
3.3
3.4
High GPA (3.0 or higher)
2.9
3.0
GPA Is No Longer King
High GPA ranks dead last in employer influence. Only 38% of employers still use it as a screening tool — down 35% in five years.
Experiential Learning Wins
The top two employer tiebreakers are both experiential — internship with their org (4.5) and industry internship experience (4.3).
Durable Skills Are the Currency
Problem solving, teamwork, communication, adaptability — the skills employers most want are exactly what gets built inside the LEAF Lab.

When you walk in with a portfolio of real work, you're not a risky new grad.

You're a candidate with demonstrated professional performance.

What Students Build at LEAF Lab

The skills employers are searching for — proof you can work.
✓ Agile certifications
✓ Real client deliverables you can demonstrate in interviews
✓ Durable, transferable skills that travel across industries
✓ Confidence from having done the actual work
Choose your track: Marketing, Finance, AI Design, and more.

The Questions Worth Asking About Any Program

Before you commit your time, make sure the program can answer these:
1. Will I work on real projects for real clients?
2. Will I learn how to work, not just what to do?
3. Will I leave with portfolio items I can show in interviews?
4. Can students in all years of study join?
At LEAF Lab, every one of those answers is yes.

Ready to Build Your Portfolio?

Apply now and start working on real projects before you graduate.

Apply Here
Contact Pinny Sutkin  ·  linkedin.com/in/wsutkin  ·  psutkin@l-eaflab.org  ·  l-eaflab.org