<p>So i posted earlier about choosing between a guarenteed REU and a job at a company.</p>
<p>Well i just got mail from a company saying they'll hire me for the summer. Except the thing is, the guy who is in charge of hiring sent me the email but will be away from the next month and says we'll discuss details when he gets back. Theres no official letter of offer or anything. I'm trying to get one though. </p>
<p>Even if i do get a letter, is the any way of guarenteeing that he will hire me when he gets back? Cause then the deadline for REU will be long over and it will be exam time. Is it likely for companies to say they will hire a student and then decide not to at the last moment? I've heard of these horror stories before. </p>
<p>I think of both jobs were guarenteed i'd go with the company one.</p>
<p>An internship sounds safer. If you want to work directly after undergrad, an internship would be good experience; by contrast, I don’t think research experience would be as helpful. On the other hand, I know people who have gone to Stanford and MIT grad school with only internships, so clearly only having internships is at least not prohibitive if you were aiming for grad school.</p>
<p>Of course, if you’re considering an academic career the REU would be a better option.</p>
<p>Easy. Email the guy back explaining your situation. You can only commit to working for them if they can guarantee you the job, since your other options will expire. If he guarantees you the job, you’re set. If he can’t guarantee you the job, then it means they may not hire you, so it would be safer to go with the REU.</p>
<p>(Also, ask him about a couple details, like whether you get paid or not or where you’ll work, so that you aren’t surprised when you discuss the details in a month)</p>
<p>I don’t really know how to ask if I’m guarenteed a job. I mean he says he “intends to hire me” and I’ll start in May. We’ve already talked about where I’m gonna work and I’ll be paid but he hasn’t said how much. </p>
<p>At this point, i think he will hire me UNLESS things change and with this economy I’m not sure how worried I should be about that. </p>
<p>I’ll be working in a new city so I’ll also have to worry about finding a place to live. I’d hate to sign a lease and find out i’m not actually employed there.</p>