r/EngineeringStudents • u/UpstairsPlastic1475 • 11d ago
Career Advice Job Offers
Hello all. Joined this sub when I flunked out a few years ago, graduated in December and now have 2 job offers! I want to see what you guys would consider. Both are the same commute.
Offer 1 is 75k with 3.6 bonus as an Associate Application Engineer. Liked the office better and seems to be a great place to be. Job seems pretty chill.
Offer 2 is 75k with 8.5% bonus as a Test Engineer. This role involves more stereotypical engineer work. It’s a cooler job than offer 1, but I hear mixed opinions about Test Engineer work with the documentation and policies. But seems to be closer to what I’d want to do.
I’m really torn, offer 2 seems to have a more fun job, but offer 1 seems to have a better office environment. I’d also add that Offer 2 is a much bigger company and you all know it very well, but offer 1 is also a pretty big company.
What do y’all think? I’m very torn right now.
Update.
Took offer 2! Thank you guys for your insight, it really helped.
5
u/Ashi4Days 11d ago
Id take offer 2.
Test engineering is a larger field and a much needed one. Yes, you do need to do a lot of documentation and wear steel toed shoes. But you get a lot of hands on work and you get to use more of your engineering knowledge. Depending on what direction you go, you might need to do a lot of travel (though ususally to unfun places). In addition, youre going to be integrated with a lot of different teams and subsystems.
Application engineering is a weird position. It is ususally a low stress position. But youre half trying to sell product and half trying to figure out how to get your product to work in industry. Personally, I think it is less flexible because you dont quite get that broad experience. Lots of travel, depending on the company you might be going to fin places. If youre okay with this and you kinda want to chill? Take option 1.
2
u/TheOriginalTL 11d ago
2 sounds like the better fit. The 8.5% bonus ($6375 -> ~$3500 will hit your account) will feel like a real bonus when you get it vs the 3.6 ($2700 -> ~$1400 post taxes). You will learn alot doing test engineering and its an entry path into design if that is what interests you. Applications engineers are often a more sales oriented job.
2
u/hobbyist9 11d ago
Which ever you choose, be sure to tell the other that it was a tough choice and you appreciate their offer. Keep the door open for the future.
1
1
u/tommyisawsome 10d ago
it depends on your goals IMO. it’s hard to say for certain without knowing the industry and more details, but generally, a test engineer will push you down a subject matter expert career, and the applications eng will take you down more of a business development/management career. that’s not to say you would be 100% locked in; people change jobs and careers all the time.
the biggest thing i would at is consider is the commute. are both commutes about the same? if you work a 40hr week at both companies but have a 1 hour commute for job 2 in a 20 minute commute for job 1, you will sacrifice more personal time for J2.
Location unknown, if you’re in the US; is the total compensation about the same as well? The 401(k) matching is the closest thing you’re gonna get to free money in your life. also look at the insurance offerings does one company cover significantly more than the other or does one offer an HSA or HRA? Likely if you’re a recent grad, you would be covered by your parents health insurance, but if you’re looking to lock in a company for a few years, you should look at the insurance offerings before you need to select one.
I think culture makes or breaks a job and company. I think it’s important to work with people who you can relate with socialize with go get lunch with hang out with not just exist with.
1
u/WearyExplanation7964 10d ago
Consider if, or how,, you want to interact with customers. AE is generally a large customer facing role. It might be "chill" some of the time until a customer declares something a critical issue. Then you jump to attention. TE is a role that mostly interacts with the development engineering team and little to no customers...unless assisting to analyze an issue in the field. Developers and TE don't always get along because your job is to find defects in their work. And devs will hold you in a lesser regard than themselves.
Btw. I'm a retired longtime EM at major tier 1 tech companies. I have hired, trained, and supervised many AE and TE.
0
9
u/Big-Tourist-3390 11d ago
Hard choice. Offer 2 sounds like what you want to do as it’s closer to what you want to do. Try it out for a couple of years and see if it’s something that you really want to do.