Should you return after an internship or find a new grad job from scratch?
Myself included, there’s always a substantial amount of people I know or have heard of that decided not to return to a past employer from an internship. Venturing into the unknowns in search of fresh new employment after graduation seemed to be the more popular choice, at least within my group of friends. This can be risky, especially given the depleted new grad job market brought by a COVID pandemic.
It’s insane to sometimes to think that I did this as well. I obsessed over the idea that testing the new grad job market was something I’d regret if I didn’t try. Conversely, It’s definitely based on biased thinking — the grass isn’t necessarily greener by trying to ‘start over’ by finding a new job at a new place. This is especially absurd given that at Waterloo, we’ve done at least 4 co-ops or internships, usually at different places. This means that we’ve essentially had at least 4 opportunities to find an employer that we want to stay with, post-graduation.
I’m going to assume that most readers are in areas that provide them the opportunity to begin working right away after graduation (and this could be an industry preference). This can include software/CS majors, various business roles, public health, engineering, and other areas where the majority of graduates pursue industry work rather than continue an academic path.
In this study, I’ve decided to ask a few of my fellow friends and acquaintances to see why they decided to go job-hunting again instead of going back to a previous employer. Next, I’ll evaluate a summary of the trade-offs between the two choices, and provide some recommendations to all upcoming new graduates based on this research.
First, I’ve narrowed our scope a bit to exclude certain self-explanatory points:
- None of their past employers were willing to hire them back based on previous internship performances.
- Those employers don’t hire for entry-level roles.
In other words, we’re only evaluating research data, such that students did have at least one employer who was willing to hire them back.
Without further ado, here is the research I’ve gathered from my 20+ chats and encounters regarding this topic. First are some of the reasons students pursued a new opportunity:
“I didn’t like any of my past internships.”
“I wanted to test the job market to see what I could get based on my experience.”
“My employers would want me back but they currently don’t have headcount.”
“I wanna change locations for a change…I’m trying to find somewhere in the USA or at least outside of Canada.”
“I wanted to see if I could get a job that paid more.”
“I wanted to try a new role that I didn’t get to try out during my internships.”
“I wanted to experience a new industry for a change.”
“I liked my role, but I didn’t think my employers were a great fit for me.”
“I prefer a start-up over a large corporation.” (or vice versa)
“I wanted an experience that gave me a broader exposure, so I can learn where I want to specialize in the future.”
Based off of this feedback, I realized that I was hovering over a wide spectrum of reasons — more than I had initially anticipated. This really shouldn’t be surprising to me logically, since everyone comes from different backgrounds and career/personal circumstances, not-to-mention different goals. However, after further review, I realized there were essentially 3 categories these results fell into:
- Personal requirements (location, team culture, etc.)
- Career requirements (role/responsibilities, career path, industry, etc.)
- Unforeseen circumstances (headcount, environmental shifts, etc.)
Next, I asked a few peers on why they returned to an employer rather than look for something brand new:
“I’d rather have a job than no job.”
“The current job market is terrible right now, especially for new grads.”
“It’s important to get experience first. I can always change roles if I’m unsatisfied, and it’s much easier to do so if my foot is in the door already.”
“My current offer is good, and I don’t think my chances of landing something better elsewhere are high.”
Note: many of those who had a job lined up from their previous employer after graduation pursued a hybrid job-search: looking for opportunities elsewhere that could possibly outperform the benefits from their current offer in-hand at a returning employer. This is simply expected, as graduates should be making sure they’re landing the best job they can get based on their experience and value to their job market.
Next in this study, I summed up an analysis in a table that scoped out the pros and cons of both choices. Note that as typical as it is of me, I’m inserting quantitative scores to all positive points to simply have something we can measure results on (and by no means are these numbers factual!):
If you go back to an employer:
Pros:
- (+5) Their job offer already meets your current career-related requirements.
- (+5) You avoid the typical amount of time, mental energy, and physical energy that’s spent on looking for a new job.
- (+3) If you have personal requirements (financial, location, etc.) which can be met (eg. the bills, like student loans, are paid sooner!!).
Cons:
- Opportunity costs: better jobs that could’ve been landed elsewhere are missed out on for the student; this could’ve had large long-term impacts down the road.
Now for finding a new grad job from scratch (only add the scores if you fit into the criteria!):
Pros:
- (+5) If you (really) want to find a job that fits your personal requirements (financial, team culture) better than a previous internship employer can.
- (+5) If you (really) want to land a job that meets career-related (industries, roles, career path, etc.) requirements better than a previous employer.
- (+2) If you prefer to find a job in a new specific location.
Cons:
- It’s just simply an incredibly draining process when it comes to job search — and I’m sure many of us know. The mental drain, anxiety, and stress that piles on top due to whatever personal or career-related circumstances we find ourselves in take lots of endurance.
Match the scores you have from both choices and see where your priorities may lean towards.
Once again, don’t base your own decision off of the numeral scores alone— it’s all subjective and fairly debatable. This analysis was simply a mental model that allows you to consider all the factors involved in your situation.
Finally, to end this study off, I’d like to provide some value by recommending some courses of action for all upcoming new graduates:
If you’re 50/50 on returning to an employer or finding something new:
Know that at the end of the day, it’s all about focusing on building your craft, and gaining enough career capital. If you feel you’ve plateaued in the S Curve graph, and have enough career capital to trade in for a new job, partake in the new grad job search process and extend any existing offer deadlines from your previous employers as far as you can. If you feel you can still learn a lot and build that career capital at a previous employer offering a job, consider taking it if job search gets too tough!
Remember to never lose sight of future possibilities. The chances you can change responsibilities or build yourself further with an employer you can return to should also be weighed in heavily.
If you’ve decided to partake in new grad job search:
Buckle up. In other words, be ready to invest the required amount of effort. I’ve literally spent 5.5 months in the job-search process, spanning from October 2020 to March 2021. Some others spend way more, and some less. On days prior to scheduled interviews, I’ve spent an average of 1.5–2 hours per night prepping, while simultaneously applying to more places (including some with cover letters!). Here are some of my own suggestions:
- It’s okay to “spray and pray,” but be thoughtful on jobs from postings you see that you really want (It’s worth to write a tailored cover letter!).
- Ask for referrals wherever you can.
- DM hiring managers of teams you’re interested in (even those that don’t appear to be hiring) on LinkedIn — don’t do this to Recruiters unless you know them well.
Leverage more than one resource. LinkedIn and Indeed are nice, but here are some others:
