Co-Op or Work

[Ultrafault]

I am approaching my junior year in electrical engineering and am having trouble deciding what the best path to take would be.
I currently work full time as a licensed maintenance electrician but my teachers are saying I should instead get a Co-Op or internship. It would be difficult yet not impossible for me to take the cut in pay this would require. I am also considering applying for a job as a utility designer as a compromise, however, I do not necessarily think that is a path I would like to peruse after graduation.
I want to break into factory automation, and power distribution.

What do you think would be the best course of action?

 

[Iron_Ben]

I disagree with your teachers. To me, your hands-on experience as an electrician is very valuable and carries a lot of weight. Co-op or internship experience can be meaningful as well, but I saw plenty of co-op students doing mundane tasks; glorified busywork in some cases. I had years of experience as a industrial electrician in locomotive manufacturing before I got my BSEE. What I learned and was exposed to as an electrician was extremely beneficial to my career and my competence as an engineer, more than I ever imagined it might be. YMMV. Good luck to you!

 

[petersonra]

I suspect that potential employers will probably look more favorably on an internship as opposed to working as a Tradesman.

This is especially true if you can get an employer that you actually want to work for to give you an internship.

 

[jim dungar]

Do whatever will apply to the career you are looking to have after you graduate.

Given your stated desire for an industrial career, interning for a consultant designing schools would not be as helpful as hands-on experience.

 

[Sunny_92]

I'd say getting a co-op or internship has the potential to benefit you more, but it also has more risk.

Your resume will definitely look better having "licensed electrician" and "co-op" on it (especially if the co-op is legitimately EE oriented), and it will open up a new channel to network. As others stated though, you do risk not getting the experience you desire.

Given your intended direction after graduation, your hands-on experience as an electrician will likely be more applicable, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be more helpful in getting a job as an engineer. Definitely a tough decision... At a minimum, I would apply for some co-ops/internships to see if anything looks promising.

 

[petersonra]

Given your intended direction after graduation, your hands-on experience as an electrician will likely be more applicable, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be more helpful in getting a job as an engineer.

Which is why your instructors are suggesting you look for an internship. It really all depends on what you want to do after graduation. If the company you work for right now would promote you from electrician to jr engineer after you graduate and that is a relatively sure thing and you want to work for them, maybe sticking it out as an electrician is the way to go.

If your financial conditions are such that you can't take the pay hit your choice has been made for you. It won't mean as much to most employers but your options are very limited. One of the problems with going this route is there are a lot of former electricians claiming to be engineers who are at best hacks and most everyone in the field has run across them at one time or another. Even someone with an engineering degree is tarred by these guys.

IMO, if you want to be an engineer instead of an electrician, your best bet might to be a clean break.

 

[ggunn]

Which is why your instructors are suggesting you look for an internship. It really all depends on what you want to do after graduation. If the company you work for right now would promote you from electrician to jr engineer after you graduate and that is a relatively sure thing and you want to work for them, maybe sticking it out as an electrician is the way to go.

If your financial conditions are such that you can't take the pay hit your choice has been made for you. It won't mean as much to most employers but your options are very limited. One of the problems with going this route is there are a lot of former electricians claiming to be engineers who are at best hacks and most everyone in the field has run across them at one time or another. Even someone with an engineering degree is tarred by these guys.

IMO, if you want to be an engineer instead of an electrician, your best bet might to be a clean break.

I did three semesters of Co-Op with Motorola in their semiconductor division while I was earning my BSEE. They had a job waiting for me when I graduated which turned into a 22 year career, so it worked out well for me. YMMV.

 

[ron]

I did three semesters of Co-Op with Motorola in their semiconductor division while I was earning my BSEE. They had a job waiting for me when I graduated which turned into a 22 year career, so it worked out well for me. YMMV.

Internship in the type of work you want to do after graduation. ggunn's experience is typical with being offered a job after graduation if you did well.

BTW, Motorola was one of my dream jobs, I'm jealous but never had the guts to aggressively apply (obviously I didn't do an internship there ....)

I did get my first job after graduation from my internship provider earlier in life.

 

[ggunn]

Internship in the type of work you want to do after graduation. ggunn's experience is typical with being offered a job after graduation if you did well.

BTW, Motorola was one of my dream jobs, I'm jealous but never had the guts to aggressively apply (obviously I didn't do an internship there ....)

I did get my first job after graduation from my internship provider earlier in life.

My experience was a little out of the ordinary; my BSEE was my second degree. My first was BSChem, which was the same education as some of the process engineers had in the fab I worked in as a Co-Op. I was doing engineering work for a technician's salary, which made Motorola happy, and it paid 2-3X what most student jobs paid, so I was happy.