Hey guys, I'm a graduating senior and I just got my first job offer and am mulling over it. I am somewhat happy with the offer but I'm not sure if it is fair because I have no frame of reference being a new grad and all. I know there are a lot of older guys here with plenty of industry experience and was wondering what you think a fair offer for me would be so I can compare with my actual offer. Here are my qualifications: BSEE in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University GPA 3.6/4.00 One internship where I got great end of term reviews and research experience which led to publication of two papers The offer is from a utility company and I would be working on planning and modeling the Houston electrical system.
I'm sure you expect a good uptick because of the quality of your school, but in this economy, that's just not a huge factor. You're also headed to a utility company, so the pay is going to be lower. I would expect you to be in the 52k-65k range. More lower end of the range than higher end.
Depends on which industries you prefer. I graduated BSEE from Texas back '02, and went to work in PC hardware for about 4 years. I started out at only $55k, but that was 8 years ago. Should be much higher than that now. Not sure what the job market is like these days, but if you're interested in power/utilities, working for Reliant, TXU, or Centerpoint might be a good opportunity for you. Once you've got a few years of relative industry experience, you could finish your MBA and transition into a career in trading power.
It's actually at the higher end of that range... actually more with bonuses. So I guess it's a good opportunity? It's actually from one of those companies I don't know I have two weeks to decide with an interview from somewhere else coming up, big choices to make...
TAKE IT, man! TAKE IT! People in this economy are slobbering over jobs... there are layoffs... there are job cuts... there are hiring freezes... there are budget cuts... and I am still wondering why people are asking about "take this job or no?" I'd take the money and RUN while I can... and then think about getting a better job... no matter how badly this first one pays...
Go with a position that will help you grow your resume right out of college, not with the one that nets you the most cash.
That's the thing though... maybe it would be more prudent to go to grad school and wait till the economy gets better and have a better degree?
Grad school in what? An MSEE is pretty worthless. You'll need job experience for an MBA. Go work for a couple of years and then go back to school. You'll appreciate the experience of grad school life much more after a few years of working a real job.
I don't have any good advice at all, but 3.6 in EE is damn good!! BTW did anyone else notice the new smilies or am I just lagging?
im not sure if OP wants advice as much as he wants to brag. Unless there's a better offer on the table, take it bro.
Well if its Reliant, I'd think about since they just got bought out and will become GenCo or whatever it is. Being a new guy after a merger just seems very unsettling...
Sorry if it comes off that way. I'm really just trying to see if I'm getting a fair offer. I just have no idea what to expect. Some of my peers are turning down similar offers and going to grad schools... I am also waiting to hear back from a consulting company but I don't really want to do consulting with its crazy hours unless they pay significantly more...
Which consulting company, if I may ask? I work in consulting now. Hours totally depend on the project. These days, I'm working ~7-8 hour days, no weekends. At one point, though, I worked 38 hours straight. On average, I work about 50-55 hours a week.
Can't your school help you with the salary question? Counselors? Placement offices? Most salary surveys I've looked at for EE's online seem to put them, on average, around $60k+ or so nationally.
Dude, I'm a MIT EE, just finished up a Northwestern JD/MBA. Straight out of school, upper end of that range sounds pretty good. Whoever said the MSEE is useless is right to a certain degree - it's pretty pointless if you're going to be going into business/trading in the future. It has some worth if you decide to go through more engineering, but not as much as you would think.
you have no experience and only a BS degree and you are wondering if ~$60K is a fair offer? Go work and dont do grad school just yet. Work for a year or 2 then go back to school. I started grad school right after i ended college and started my first professional job and looking back at it, it would have been nice to have had more work experience before going so i had a better understanding of what to focus on. I was so focused on
Reliant didnt get bought out, it was RRI Trading, and they dont supply Houston with energy, they have plants in PA, OH, CA, MS, and FL.
And with each passing moment, my Bachelor's in Finance looks more and more worthless. Not that the sub-3.0 GPA with no real accounting hours helped.
