Oh no! Job offer problem!

[enwar3]

Hi all!

I'm going to be a freshman at Stanford next year, and planning to major in Product Design or BioE or MechE. Not quite sure. I'm working a summer job at a pretty large corporation right now that employs mainly MechEs and EEs right now. Pays pretty well, people are friendly. I already got offered a job here next year (after frosh year at college). Here's the thing. My boss will need to know by December. And I don't know if I'll know by December what I'm doing in the summer. I might try to get a BioE internship down in Cali over the summer.

So this is the problem: I have a nice job here, and could have the same one (albeit a raise) next summer. The problem is, my job here, while engineering-related, might not have to do with what I plan on majoring in. BUT, since next year is just my freshman year, I probably couldn't get any good internships in BioE anyways. Should I go ahead and stick with my current employer, or should I try to find another? Will my boss take offense if I choose to wait and give her my decision say in December?

 

[dustmann]

She said she needs to know by December, take her up on it. That'll give you plenty of time to think things out a little better.

 

[Savij]

I say go with the offer since it'll be difficult to get a good internship coming out of freshman year. Hell, you don't even know if you'll stay with your major that long.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I definably would. now if they offer full time, don't, since if you quit college and that job is suddenly no longer available in say 10 years from now, you're screwed. But if it's for the summer, then I'd go for it, and you don't have to worry about finding a job for that summer.

 

[hypn0tik]

Originally posted by: Savij
I say go with the offer since it'll be difficult to get a good internship coming out of freshman year. Hell, you don't even know if you'll stay with your major that long.

You don't learn enough after your first year to be able to use it in the workplace. You learn the fundamentals and don't get into depth until your 3rd year.

Since you have till December, tell her you'll see how things go and get back to her. Applications for summer internships are usually around the Dec - Feb. time frame, so that's one thing to keep in mind. Chances are that you'll end up going back next summer.

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: Savij
I say go with the offer since it'll be difficult to get a good internship coming out of freshman year. Hell, you don't even know if you'll stay with your major that long.

sound advice.

 

[Aluvus]

Getting an internship after freshman year in an engineering discipline is extremely difficult unless you already have an "in". It would be unwise to count on getting one.

In terms of resume-building, it won't matter if this ends up being in a different field of engineering from your eventual major. If it has anything at all to do with engineering, it will be better than what 90% or more of (honest) students will be able to list.

Some people end up with jobs that result from internships, so in that regard it could matter a bit. But you would still have the summers after your sophomore and junior years (the post-junior-year summer being the really important one) to take other internships.

 

[Corporate Thug]

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

 

[enwar3]

I think I'm probably gonna take this one.

I had also planned to talk to the Product Design team about getting them to hire me as an intern, but now I feel guilty and boxed in, since I've already been made an offer...

 

[brxndxn]

I'd take the job.. you can always go back to college.

And.. for those that say you need a degree for engineering.. screw them. I work as an 'engineer' doing industrial programming.. My degree is political science.

The only reason a person needs a degree is if he or she cannot get a job without one.

 

[enwar3]

Just to clarify, the job next year is a summer internship. Not like a full-time job I'd have to leave school for...

 

[imported_Imp]

Just take it. It's hard to find a job even remotely related to your field. You will primarily be observing the policies and procedures for the first few years anyways. Either you won't know enough or they won't trust you enough to do the really important stuff. Even so, the experience will be amazingly helpful, especially to prospective employers who like to read the title and sugar coatings.