<p>I am writing because back in January I decided to take an unpaid internship this summer. It starts in June, and I would be living at the internship site several hours away from my house. I was not sure if I wanted to take the opportunity, but I didn't want to lose it by either saying no or that I wanted to think about it more--unfortunately, they told me during a phone call that I had actually answered so I felt like I needed to give them a yes or no answer right then.</p>
<p>I was supposed to do this same internship last summer. I backed out due to medical concerns. But I got accepted again to go this summer, which is great, and now I don't want to do it. I wouldn't be getting academic credit for it because I graduate this spring, and it is a 100% volunteer when I could have a guaranteed paying job at home for 20+ hours per week. I would have to pay monthly for housing there, whereas it would be free rent if I stayed at home. I also couldn't bring my dogs to the internship with me, and they are my babies and I would be super sad about that so I also want to stay home because of them.</p>
<p>Anyway, what should I do? For those suggesting I back out, how can I word it (would probably send an email) where I don't sound like a jerk and flaky?</p>
<p>Do you need the credits to graduate? If not then reneg, but if you do need the credits then its a difficult situation. </p>
<p>I was in a similar situation. I got two job offers to start work this summer. One was a higher offer than the other (with both being good career opportunities). I decided to accept the lower offer because I couldn’t put them off any longer than two weeks from the initial phone call (I was still in the process of final round interviews for the second offer). After I got the second job offer I didn’t know what to do at first. I felt obligated to stay with the first one because I already accepted the offer but the second one was higher pay and in a great city.</p>
<p>After talking to family and friends and searching what I wanted in myself, I decided to email the first company that gave me an offer to say that I appreciated everything but I would have to decline their offer and hoped that I would be a good fit in the future. </p>
<p>So long story short. This is your future, don’t let the company pressure you. It’s an unpaid internship so it’s not a total loss for the company. You need to do what’s best for you and not someone else. </p>
<p>If you are sure you don’t want to do it, then send a letter. Say you find you can’t afford an unpaid internship and will have to work. But kiss that company goodbye for any future opportunities.</p>
<p>Are you sure that you are a college graduate? You sound rather immature…giving up an opportunity to stay home with your doggies for a few weeks?</p>
<p>What you need to consider is which path will more likely advance you to your ultimate goal.</p>
<p>You mention you have a 20 hr/wk job at home. Is it career related? Will the job still be there if you do the internship first?</p>
<p>Is the internship, paid or not, likely to help you get a career paying job?</p>
<p>Which job will give you more career skills? Which job will give you ore career connections?</p>
<p>You need to start thinking long term, not short term.</p>
<p>No, I do not need the credits to graduate. I finish my bachelor’s degree in a few weeks, and this internship would be after that. Sorry if I did not make that clear.</p>
<p>I am sure that I am about to graduate college. I’d hate to throw my dogs into a different situation for the 11 weeks that I would be gone, I am worried about how they might adjust to the new surroundings and then back to being with me. It would also be especially difficult for one of them considering they get into my bed and sleep with me every single night I feel like because I’m so close to them it would be the equivalent of throwing my kids into someone else’s house just so mommy can go away and do this thing for a bit.</p>
<p>It could be career related, except I have no idea what I want to do for a “career” and I am not worried about that. It might look good on a resumé, though, if I want to do something involving dealing with customers or visitors. It is a seasonal internship only offered during the summer, and I don’t see how I can “advance” at the company after the internship. The job will still be there if I do the internship first.</p>
<p>The internship would probably give me more “career skills”–I’d be doing a lot of things that I haven’t done before and it would certainly be a different experience. I am worried that I may not be the best fit for it, though, based on the “job” description, but I figured I’d just apply anyway, and for some reason they “hired” me. I may get some connections, but I’m not concerned about looking good to anyone for a job, and again I don’t even know what I want to do as a “career”. No one stays in a “career” for their whole life or anything, so I’m not stressing over it. I feel like there is more to life than professional development.</p>
<p>They are dogs, nothing like children who are developing and need to learn from their parents (although my kid went to her grandparents out of state every summer from when she was 18mos through high school) at all. Dogs. They are highly adaptable and they have each other…</p>
I feel like because I’m so close to them it would be the equivalent of throwing my kids into someone else’s house just so mommy can go away and do this thing for a bit.</p>