Honestly, some companies have a real disconnect between HR and the department that has the job opening. I know a very good company that had a strong Co-op program (eng/cs), but sort of dropped the ball in recruiting for transition to a position.
H interviewed early in his senior year (EE) and got a decent job offer, and took it! Talented but not strong GPA; the hook was a test engineering college project (a newer and growing field in electronics in 1977/1978) back when computers were a main frame that filled a room. He was a test engineer for a number of years and worked with all the PCs as they came on dev’p and to the market. Then building faster, cheaper. Then advanced shrinking of electronics and capabilities.
IMHO a good solid job offer, take the job. DD’s room-mate got her first job, and now she is moving on to a better job – more in her field, better pay, advancement opportunities. One has to start somewhere.
Ah, well I can’t imagine encouraging him to spend even more time at it…he was in every play, every musical, constantly rehearsing. I am most certain that he had wished that he spent more time gaining skills and trying to get a job, and didn’t have to go through this. As an adult, unfortunately, sometimes you need to spend more time doing what is necessary over what is fun…but there’s no point in telling him that now.
Yes, I am sure my kid is also thinking that taking that advanced R class while working in a boring job could have been better than going to grad school and then living out of a suitcase for a year. Meanwhile, a few of her friends got married, got promoted, bought property… She feels like she is standing on the pier and watching the boat slowly pulling away. She has another interview today… And then - fingers crossed - hope that that big startup will call her to schedule the second interview they requested. Fingers crossed.
@BunsenBurner How old is your daughter? Property, marriage, even jobs, what’s the rush? You’ve got the rest of your life to do that stuff - not a race. Seems like you yourself are a bit anti-fellowship year. I can imagine that she did learn skills and have personal growth experiences that will help her throughout life.
And I’m hoping my son can enjoy that too, doschicos. That job thing just keeps getting in the way…if only he was a trust fund baby. He picked his parents poorly.
Hoping for your daughter, Bunsen! I think my son felt like that too, seeing his friends get jobs with Google and Facebook, feeling like his life had stagnated. Fingers crossed here, also.
Dos, I keep telling all of that, you bet. But at some point, when you run into a wall of after wall of people with an opposite view, people who hold the gate to that coveted J. O. B., you will start questioning your past decisions. It does not matter what you or I think if the gatekeepers think differently.
Not going to say too much because she is still job hunting. It was shocking to me that a life sciences HR where i know they employ people with mph degrees recommended removing it from her résumé. Anything goes at this point!
Yes, lots of people do performing arts (or sports) as an “extracurricular” outside of the jobs that they do to earn a living. Considering that earning a decent living in such requires elite-level talent and commitment, it makes more sense for most people to do that as an “extracurricular” than as one’s primary way of earning a living.
Oh, here is a new twist on the fellowship - because some employers would count that as a job, according to their rules, they will peg the offered salary to the previous one - no more than x% over what the fellowship paid. Where is that “eeek” emoji?! Talk about low ball offer!!!
“Oh, here is a new twist on the fellowship - because some employers would count that as a job, according to their rules, they will peg the offered salary to the previous one - no more than x% over what the fellowship paid. Where is that “eeek” emoji?! Talk about low ball offer!!!”
Not sure what country your daughter was in for her Fulbright, @BunsenBurner, but if an employer adjust the fellowship stipend for a cost of living adjustment to the USA, that might be a decent boost!
D1 didn’t have that % issue, there were hiring and $ tiers established. But she went to semi-tech sales related. I suppose some research grants could leave some employers wondering if the research or academia was really the ultimate goal and the 9-5 work was interim or 2nd best. ?
The first job is always the hardest and I agree that it easier to get a job when you have a job. My oldest son had good grades and was a finance major. He took a job selling cars with a large company that had a training program. It is not the perfect job but he has already saved some money and is still applying other places. He works long hours and works all weekend. When he finally does get a job with weekends free he will think he has died and gone to heaven.
Maybe if the rest of the world was like CC. 
