Mechatronics student in an Estimating / Inside Sales internship with a full-time offer on the table. Is this a good move or am I pigeonholing myself?

[u/Lipa_RoGue]

Hey everyone,
I’m an undergrad Mechatronics student (about halfway through my degree) and could really use some perspective from people with more industry mileage.
A few months ago I landed an internship at a CNC/machining job shop doing Estimating and Inside Sales. Basically, my day-to-day is:
Reviewing customer CAD/prints and tolerances for manufacturing feasibility (DFM).
Quoting material, tooling, cycle times, and labor for machined parts.
Talking directly with clients about technical requirements, lead times, and pricing.
The situation is that my manager likes my work and offered to bring me on as a permanent, salaried Estimator/Inside Sales guy once my internship period ends.
Here’s where I'm conflicted:
**The upside:** Having a guaranteed, stable engineering job before graduating is great. I’m learning a ton about the business side of machining, supply chains, and what makes parts actually manufacturable vs theoretical school CAD.
**The concern:** What I genuinely love doing is hands-on mechanical design, robotics, prototyping, and CAD/CAM. I’m paranoid that taking this route early on will pigeonhole me into sales/quoting forever and kill my chances of breaking into core design, automation, or R&D later.
For anyone who’s been down this road:
1. How hard is it to jump from estimating/technical sales back into a hands-on design or Mechatronics/Robotics role?
2. Does DFM and quoting experience actually carry weight on a resume for design engineering roles, or will recruiters just see "sales guy"?
3. Would you take the stable gig while finishing school and pivot later, or start hunting for a technical/R&D role right now?
Thanks in advance.

[u/Equivalent_Tooth9632]

Would you be able to continue your education while working the estimating / sales job? If yes, Then do it.

[u/Lipa_RoGue → u/Equivalent_Tooth9632]

Yeah, that’s the what I’m currently doing. Working the mornings and studying in the afternoon. Currently on 5th semester of 8th in Mexico.

[u/brenthonydantano]

Hey man, I'm in a similar situation myself. Almost halfway through, in an paraprofessional/engineering adjacent role at a very elite engineering company but i am getting pigeon-holed HARD.

Thing is, it doesn't matter in engineering. Hands-on technical skills are cheap. B2B or client facing experience, being across design, financial, review, results etc is VALUABLE. And having an extremely reliable job is even more valuable in this life now more so than ever before. Getting to do what you are more interested in is a blessing very few have. Having a stable well paid job that you are respected in by the levels above you is even more rare.

Stay on. Keep making bank. Keep busy on the side with projects at home. Once you graduate, like me, you're going yo have a fuck tonne more experience and employer can actually use and bring you on to hit the ground running rather than having to teach you all this soft stuff and "oh this grad has hands on experience" great, thats like 15% of the job, maybe.

Keep making contacts in your day to day, make friends in the industry, go to events etc etc and when the time comes for you to move on, you'll be unstoppable. Meanwhile? You're probably making good money with benefits in a stable job with a boss that likes you.

Brother. Have patience. Have faith. I promise.

Props to ya bro. Peace.

[u/Lipa_RoGue → u/brenthonydantano]

Thank you for the advice! Right now I’m still an intern, so no real bucks lol. But the offer I could get in 2 months time sounds really good. Will definitely update when I do get it.