Job and Internship Salary Comparisons? 231
spydabyte writes "I'm a current undergraduate at the Georgia Institute of Technology and have been getting offers for internships next summer. I was wondering if there is a source of information on intern markets or how a market's competitive salaries are. How do you know if you're getting a decent offer or you deserve more when you're entering a (personally) new market? Is there a definite source? Do you have your favorite? I know that many factors matter, as in location, previous experience, etc., but I think there's more to find out besides asking for my friends' current offers. If not internships, how about full time or careers? Any ideas?"
Re:Take what you can get. (Score:5, Interesting)
However a small company has more contacts then you think. Sometimes you can actually make much better contacts threw a small company then threw a large one. Say you worked at Microsoft you will be working in your small team of people who focus on that one job. In a small company as an intern you may be working with the clients some of them are actually quite high up on the scale. Where say Microsoft your contact will be with the other engineers on your team a small company you actually may get contacts with CEO's of more recognizable companies.
Re:don't worry about it... (Score:5, Interesting)
I wouldn't be so dismissive of someone with salary expectations. If they're expecting you to do some serious work, then they should be offering legitimate pay. Quitting a coop and finding a new one is a pain. If they're not going to give you serious work, they should at least be willing to pay you for wasting your time. Legitimate pay is a good way of gauging how serious they are about using your talents and Tech education.
I'd recommend the Coop program, spydabyte, over the Internship program. Better pay (from what I've seen), more opportunities for serious work (because you're coming back), you get to know more people in the company, and if you do it right, you can pretty much depend on having a job offer. The coop program is now only 3 semesters at Tech (of course you can keep going if you need the money, I'll be doing 5), so there's really no reason not to. Get to add more nice things to your resume, while you're at it.
Salary expectations-- My first coop company paid $16/hr a few years ago. Friend's coop last year was paying him $20/hr. Now I'm making $18/hr at my second coop. GE starts you at $17.
Don't forget-- YOU CAN NEGOTIATE. This is no different from any other job. Be bold about it. There aren't many students involved in the Coop program at Tech. You are in demand, ESPECIALLY if your GPA is at or above 3.0 (if you go to Tech).
Re:Take what you can get. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:If you're getting paid... (Score:2, Interesting)
I was making between $18 to $20 per hour about 8 years ago. To be honest, though, the job experience that I got meant NOTHING when it came time for me to get a full-time job No employer took my internships seriously (I had 4 of them)
What it did do is let me graduate with no student loans. I say take whatever you can get...
Re:glassdoor (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:glassdoor (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes, your state is so very progressive that Prop 8 passed easily. Add that to your comment and it begins to look like California is a bunch of people that hate everyone, but expect those people to pay for what they consume.
Apparently, I was wrong about the meaning of progressive. Of course, so is the Democratic party.
I hate the politicization of words, 'they' never bother to look them up first.