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- 🍿 This grad might throw away their job offer
🍿 This grad might throw away their job offer
They’ve got a grad offer locked in... but they’re eyeing an unpaid internship instead. Risky? Absolutely. We break down what’s worth gambling for and what’s not.
CareerSnacks Team
June 14, 2025
🥒 Today’s pickle
I’m in my final year of university and set to start a graduate role next year at my current company. The pay is decent, but I’m not learning much. The role feels really isolating, with no other grads, no community, and not much growth or mentorship. I don’t feel excited about staying.
There’s another company I really want to work for. They seem to align more with my interests and offer better structure and support. But to join their grad program, I’d have to do a 3-month internship with them (Nov to Feb), and only after that would they reassess whether I can join the actual program. It might be unpaid or low-paid, and I could get rejected, leaving me without a grad job.
I’ve also thought about asking my current company if I can take a year off to reassess, travel, or study, and do the internship during that time. But that still feels risky. I don’t know if it’s worth taking a chance this early in my career, or if I should build experience where I am and move later. I feel stuck and unsure what to do.
🧀 Here’s the cheese
1. Don’t stay in a job that isn’t teaching you anything.
If you’re not gaining skills, mentorship, or momentum, you’re not growing.
Early-career jobs should teach you something, whether that’s technical skills, people skills, or even just what you don’t want.
If you already know you don’t want to stay, start thinking of this role as a short-term launchpad, not a commitment.
2. The internship risk only works if there’s real upside.
Is this other company truly a top-tier opportunity for you, or just “better than your current one”? Be honest.
What would success look like after the internship? If it’s not a clear hell yes, it’s not worth being broke and anxious over.
A gamble makes sense when it unlocks compounding returns (network, mentorship, real growth).
3. A “year off” only works if it’s intentional.
Traveling or studying sounds good, but companies will sniff out whether you were just drifting or working on something.
If you go this route, pick a focus, a project, freelance work, part-time study, or even a side hustle that shows initiative.
Otherwise, it just reads as indecision in disguise.
4. You don’t need to have a 10-year plan, but you do need a 6-month one.
Pick one direction you’re curious about and go get real-world exposure.
Focus on learning, building connections, and testing fit, not landing the perfect role.
5. Define what progress looks like to you.
Do you want better mentorship? Clearer goals? A team you enjoy?
Once you define that, the decision becomes a lot simpler.
Junior Project Manager
What it is: Entry-level role that helps manage timelines, tasks, and communication across teams to keep projects on track.
Pay range: $55K–$75K (US)
Good for: Organized communicators who like juggling details and nudging people toward deadlines.
What you need: Usually a bachelor’s degree; certifications like CAPM can help but aren’t required.
Skills: Project planning, communication, time management, task tracking tools (e.g. Asana, Trello, Jira)
🤖 AI Resilience Score: 64.0/100 – While many tasks can be automated, human coordination and judgment still matter.
Involves real-time decisions, not just task checklists
Coordination across people and priorities isn’t easily automated
Requires judgment, presence, and EQ to unblock teams and keep momentum
🥣 Quick Dip
Can’t decide between two career paths? Write a mock “day in the life” for each — it forces you to picture the reality.
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