<p>McDonalds (store-level - not corporate level) isn’t going to care if you have a low GPA. They might care if you only are going to stay for the summer because turnover is a big problem for fast food industry. </p>
<p>As for some sort of assembly line manager or something, I don’t really know how competitive that is as I haven’t applied for anything like that. It seems like that’s not really the job many IOEs actually want so it may very well be in reach. Though it’s probably too late to be looking for internships now.</p>
<p>“But besides that, what you’re saying is right. I want to go to grad school because of my parents.”</p>
<p>I stopped reading. An IOE engineer going to grad school for their parents is like… I can’t even find an analogy stupid enough to compare to that. Going to grad school KILLS a lot of your job opportunities (as employers don’t want to pay the premium for your grad degree) if you aren’t going to be the technical research guy, especially in IOE (really what R&D can you think of for IOE). And given your grades I doubt you even want to do IOE in academia so why the hell are you going to grad school. You’re either trolling or you lived 21 years of your life with your eyes closed, ears covered and numbed half your brain.</p>
<p>While I disagree with OP’s premise of going to grad school, I disagree with your statement.
Airlines and health-care, which happen to be two pretty large industries, hire grad level IOEs in droves.</p>
<p>Just because OP might seem a bit blustered and confused about his major doesn’t give anyone the right to verbally assault him.</p>
<p>To OP: I know things might seem really tough right now, but the best thing for you is to simply hunker it down and pick up what you can from here on out. Holding a negative attitude about the future simply won’t help you. Study your ass off - if it means dumping your social life, so be it. You might not be able to fix what happened before, but there’s no reason to give up now.</p>
<p>“Just because OP might seem a bit blustered and confused about his major doesn’t give anyone the right to verbally assault him.”</p>
<p>I think you mean “doesn’t mean it’s right for anyone to verbally assault him”, because fortunately, my right to “verbally assault” OP is protected by the first amendment, so that right doesn’t have to be “given”. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Regardless, I don’t think anyone is “verbally assaulting” OP, just trying to get OP’s head out of the sand.</p>
<p>* my right to “verbally assault” OP is protected by the first amendment, so that right doesn’t have to be “given”. *</p>
<p>You know, you’re right! I never really thought about constitutional protections when discussing an undergrad’s prospects in regards to life beyond University, but hey, nothing wrong with including it.</p>
<p>I guess it’s not really a matter of being legally bound to do so as much as an ethical responsibility. You know though, I’ve got this feeling I can’t shake about what you’re saying though…You know what I mean? Like, there was some rule that stated “Flames, insults, and personal attacks will not be tolerated”. </p>
<p>Oh, that’s right, the College Confidential Terms of Service!</p>
<p>You are still off. The college confidential terms of service does not restrict my constitutional right to “verbally abuse” OP, it just means CC has the right to not show them.</p>
<p>However, I still don’t see “flames, insults and personal attacks”, all i see is honest assessment of OP’s situation, and constructive criticism. However, maybe you are one of those sensitive ones that likes everything sugarcoated. I charge for sugarcoating service unfortunately; it’s pretty expensive. Now luckily, unlike you, OP has shown that he’s a lot more receptive to honest opinion/constructive criticism than you, judging from his responses.</p>
<p>And seriously? Ethical responsibility? What is that? The only ethics that anyone should care about is not running afoul of the LETTERS of the law (and for professionals, rules of their profession).</p>
<p>…my constitutional right to “verbally abuse” OP…</p>
<p>* However, I still don’t see “flames, insults and personal attacks”…*</p>
<p>I was never addressing your post in the first place - there is nothing inherently hostile in it. There are others that certainly borderline on the edge (and may well be) insult: these posts were the ones my comment was made out to.</p>
<p>Hey engineer20, I’m in a similar predicament as you, where my IOE GPA blows (below 3.0). However, that has not stopped me from securing internships with top firms. You need to NETWORK. Going the traditional route of applying through career fairs/resume drops will not work for the large and successful companies. Through networking, you should be able to bypass HR screening your resume out through your GPA and skip to the interview stage. In almost 90% of my interviews I have never been asked my GPA and received offers based on my experience and behavioral interview skills. Talk to your family friends, professors, ANYONE (even try cold-calling) to get your foot in the door. This method has worked for me and currently I am in a middle-office summer analyst position at a Wall Street firm (think GS/JPM/MS). You may not be able to secure a front office position like bearcats (since FO is looking for candidates with near perfect qualifications) but you can definitely still come out strong with careers with a poor GPA. PM me if you want more advice.</p>