This past January I accepted a non-technical internship offer with Company A, a well-respected internet company outside of the Fortune 500 (coming in just under 1000 on the list). I was excited about the opportunity to work with a company with such a great work/life balance and reputation, particularly after getting rejected from an internship at my dream company, Company B (a tech company listed in the Fortune 50 with A-list name recognition). This past week, however, I got an offer from Company B for a different, more specific internship. It is super last minute, and I’m feeling conflicted about what to do.
On one hand, I have a good company that wanted me when Company B did not. They don’t have the name recognition of Company A, but they are still recognized within the Silicon Valley. But on the other hand, I have a company that I have been dreaming about for years that just about every person in the first world would recognize. I don’t want to burn a bridge with Company A (where I have a good chance of converting to a full-time position after graduation), but I worry that choosing the internship with them would result in lost opportunities outside of the tech industry.
My field is mainly marketing and communications, and I’m not sure if their name is recognizable/prestigious enough outside of the tech world to make an impression on future employers. I’m also worried about giving up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Company B, despite the fact that I don’t see myself having many opportunities to convert to full-time with them. Even without that opportunity, I think having the name on my resume would be enough to get me an interview with most companies in my field.
This is probably the most first world problem I have ever had, and I know people would kill to have this problem, but I’m feeling really conflicted and need to make a decision in the next week. What do you guys think I should do? I would appreciate any advice you can offer.