Hands-on experience is a basic choice in hiring.

Carol, this is thoughtful, thorough, first-rate, and grounded in practical reality. Thank you for your analysis. My first Ph.D. chair, who had to retire because of heart problems after one year with me (he is now deceased) observed that "all things being equal," experience, having done it, having done the thing counts most with employers. You have a degree, and I have a degree. Both have met accreditation standards. So the next variable in the hiring process is experience, hands-on, as the decision-making for hiring driver. Look for more and more students pursuing internships - in fact as many as three. I did my Ph.D. internship at the University of California, Davis. It was a huge learnng experience. I returned to Wisconsin and thought surely I would get hired in California. Instead, I ended up in New York City! Anyway, I got to experience the two "coasts" before settling down in the middle of our country again.