Should I Inter/Co-Op? Electrical Engineering w/ already long-ish graduation

Career Opportunities & Internships
1

Hello,

Quick facts about me:

  • EE major w/ 3.8 GPA
  • At the start of college I did not know I wanted to do EE, so I have coursework that kind of puts me behind 1 year
  • Did not structure things well so I have no internship or co-op experience
  • Have University experience (Undergraduate Applied Electromagnetic research, international project in Europe, Peer Mentor)

So this leads me to my current situation. Currently:

  • I am offered an internship at Hartsfield Jackson Int. Airport in Atlanta, Ga for Summer 2019
  • Also, I am offered a 3 on-off Co-Op rotation at a great company starting Fall 2019

I am looking for advice on if I should do both or not. I am pretty set on doing the internship in the summer. And, if I do the Fall Co-Op, I could also do it Summer 2020 which would fit nicely as its in the summer semester… then I may decide not to do it in the following Spring 2021 (or maybe I work smth out with the employer).

I feel like I need as much experience as I can get. The only downsides I foresee are: not being able to take classes with my friends I made during uni, and living at home longer.

What would you do in this situation?

2

Get as much work experience a you can.

3

Yeah, second that. The experience does not just make you more marketable but it also informs you about the sorts of things you like in a work setting and things you’d want to avoid in the future (before you have to commit for longer than a circumscribed length of time).

4

Thank you both.

5

I agree…do both. Get work experience…but also see what you do and don’t like about different companies.
Don’t worry about living at home (unless that is an unpleasant experience).

6

Thanks. Its not a bad thing living at home, but its just something I’d rather not do.

I appreciate all the advice!

7

bump

8

You have a consensus opinion from multiple replies. There’s no reason to bump the thread. What more can you learn?

9

no harm no foul @eyemgh

10

Co-op definitely and do the internship. Work experience is a huge plus in engineering- if I had equivalent students applying for a position (gpa, etc) and one had co-op experience and one didn’t- the Co-op would get the position every time.

11

Thank you @engineermomof2