<p>Hello,
So I am a Mechanical Engineer going into my junior year and I got an internship in a manufacturing plant.
I was planning on getting another internship at an automotive company if possible...
But, I was looking up things about Co-op & internship and it seems that Co-op is more beneficial.
Does that mean that companies do not think much of internship?
Also, is there a guarantee that I will be eligible to find a decent job when I graduate?
Thank you for any comments in advance</p>
<p>I am a Junior this year from Marquette, and just started my first co-op term with Briggs & Stratton. What I have heard from advisers and fellow students is that having first hand experience is key to land a decent job when you graduate. If you choose the co-op route you will have about 3-4 semesters typically of experience and most Co-ops have you experience many different types of engineering from testing to design and manufacturing. The cool part about Internships though is that they allow you to graduate on time and not spend an extra year in school, unless you’re like me and want that. Also a lot of people stick with their internships if they really like it and are moving forward, or leave and move onto something different to have a real understanding of what they want to do. The one thing that is for certain no matter what path you choose is that experience is necessary to get your name out there and get a job. It’s what every engineer has told me at Briggs (most being co-ops or interns for Briggs themselves), and with that most companies would rather hire someone who knows the product and business already which is why Co-ops and Internships are feeding programs to develop students into future employees. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>I guess in addition would be that with a Co-op you can still intern during the semesters or summers you aren’t on a co-op term. I had a research position for a professor at Marquette this past summer and loved it, seeing a whole different side of engineering that is leading me to the possibility of Graduate school now.</p>
<p>co-op gives you the opportunity to have an year-long industrial experience while graduating within four years. But you might have to take classes in the summer, and work during the semester according to your school’s co-op schedule. Also, in co-op the school places you for work through their career services office most of the time because the co-op program contributes to the school’s reputation.</p>
<p>Internships are typically in the summer and most of the time you have to find them by yourself and you work at a company of your choice. It is still possible to get an yearlong worth of experience through internships because many people continue to do their engineering internships part-time during the school year. Companies value internships and co-op the same and what really matters is what you are doing at you co-op/internship. If you are getting hands on industrial experience, awesome. But if you are making coffee for your supervisor everyday, not so awesome.</p>