Thinking about quitting co-op job (employment, employer, company, paid)
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I'm currently a co-op worker at a company. Co-op (cooperative education) is basically an internship except instead of just working for 3 months or something you work for one term, go to school one term, work another term and so on... The co-op employment with this company calls for 3 work terms and I'm in the second work term. Although the employment is for 3 work terms, it's at will employment so I'm not bound by a contract.
I'm currently working right now for summer term and my next work term is next spring. I don't see myself working for this company after I graduate mainly because of geographical location. It's far away from where I'm from and after living down here for a combined total of 7 months it's just not the same as home.
I'm debating whether or not I should work as planned in the spring. If I work in the spring it will delay my graduation by 7 months by moving it from a May graduation to a December graduation, but I will only gain an additional 4 months of work experience. My question is it worth it?
If I quit then I will surely not be hired by this company after graduation which might be bad in case my job prospects close to home don't work out.
What does anyone on here think?
Sorry for the lack of specific details, I'm kind of paranoid probably for no reason about my employer reading this. But I think the situation itself is descriptive enough to comment on.
Even though things are difficult, I would stick with it. At the end of it you'll have a solid reference. If you bail now you'll have wasted the time that you put in already. Plus, in this economy it's better to be shielded by being in school and having a guaranteed job for a few more months.
IF you committed to working, you should honor your commitment. There are going to be a lot of things about working life that are inconvenient, but necessary. If you are not compromising your values on the job, then stick it out.
If I quit then I will surely not be hired by this company after graduation which might be bad in case my job prospects close to home don't work out.
You already have your answer. In this job market, you could end up not getting work at home, then looking for work at this employer. I was about to tell you to quit until I read that.
For heaven's sake, its three months. Not a life sentence. Nobody ever said you have to stay there and work for that same employer for the rest of your life. Its just a student job. Don't make it into more than it is.
And how do you propose to meet the graduation requirements anyway, if you don't complete the work term? Typically work is as mandatory as coursework in a coop program. Quitting isn't even an option.
It's not just 3 months for the work term. It's the 7 months it will delay my graduation. I don't want to be in school forever. Also the co-op program at my school is weird in that there is no co-op certificate you can earn, so you're not required to complete a co-op program before you can graduate. The only function the co-op department does is keep you a full time student while working.
Also, as far as "letting the company down". I knew a girl who I worked with last term who was fired because she got bad reviews her first two terms. The co-op program director at this company said something like "let's face it, you're not going to get hired full time here after you graduate, so let's not waste both of our time". BTW I got a very good review my first term, so performance is not a concern in this decision for me.
But my point is that the company uses the co-op program as a tool for recruiting new grads. They said that 80% of co-ops who complete the program ACCEPT a full time offer upon graduation. If I don't plan to work there is it really best for me or the company to stay?
Even if I do quit, I plan to complete my current term. I have every confidence I would get a good reference from the first term manager and my current term manager.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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Are you getting paid during this co-op? Is this a tough industry to break into? What are you getting out of this arrangement? What are your goals? Can anyone at this place help you achieve them?
My understanding is that you want to leave a job on good terms and with the possibility of returning. Not an insurmountable problem.
If I wanted to get out of this arrangement on good terms, I'd talk to whomever I thought had the most power/influence there, or whomever had the most connections outside of the office. I would take them out to lunch or something and tell them I wanted their advice. I would then say something like, "I find myself in an incredibly awkward situation, not sure how to handle it, could you please share your thoughts....blah, blah, blah." Then I'd lay out my compelling reason for leaving: it it's unpaid, I'd say, circumstances have changed and I need to earn money. No apologies. I'd just lay out there. Then I'd ask them how they would handle it. I'd stress that I LOVE this place and I wish circumstances (important to blame circumstances and not you or the company) were different. Then I'd thank them profusely for their help and discretion. I'd also ask if they'd be a reference. Not sure if this would work for you, but in situations like this, I have said something like ...."I know you're really busy, so I took the liberty of typing up a basic character reference, would you sign off on it?". Yeah, I put them on the spot. Yeah, it's worked more times than I can count. The key is to make them feel really good about helping you.
No matter what, after I left, I'd make sure I stayed in touch. I keep it as simple as sending a very brief email just touching base or mentioning a shared interest. This would be my key resource if I happened to need a job with the company later.
I've used this tactic many times over the years and it works beautifully. Make the decision, find an ally, have a clearly defined goal. In this case, your goal would be to leave on good terms with a reference and the possibility of a rehire.
I'd stay. I'm a recent grad who worked 2 internships and a job- none of whom were able to hire me after graduation. I have had to move back home which is a region where many hiring managers are unfamiliar with my university which makes it doubly hard to find employment.
Even if you don't take the job after graduation, you will have the option. You can always take it until you can find something better.
It's not just 3 months for the work term. It's the 7 months it will delay my graduation. I don't want to be in school forever. Also the co-op program at my school is weird in that there is no co-op certificate you can earn, so you're not required to complete a co-op program before you can graduate. The only function the co-op department does is keep you a full time student while working.
The job skills and work record you are earning at the co-op will far out shine your diploma. Doesn't matter if you end up working for them or not.
When my oldest son was getting his masters in Library Science, he has spent all his college years working in the library. Once he graduated, it was those 5 years of library experience that got him hired at a college over all the other applicants. So, this should be a big consideration for you.
No reason to be in a rush to graduate, it's not as though the job market is all super these days.
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