I’m currently working an internship. My boss wants to keep me around for a salaried position. I know I don’t want to work there long term. Can I take it and continue looking for a new job, or do I need to wait a while?
I’ve had some people tell me this is fine, and some tell me that it makes me an asshole and that it’ll look horrible and hurt me in the future.
Not sure what industry you work in, but getting hired wherever you do your internship looks good to future employers (kind of like a mini promotion). And getting hired based on internship experience alone isn’t particularly easy.
Civil engineering.
So, any opinion on the question? Say I take the mini-promotion. Can I continue looking for a new job immediately, or does that make me an asshole? Will that hurt my future job prospects? What’s a good amount of time to work at a place before looking for a new job?
As with all of these types of questions, only worry about yourself and your situation. Seriously. I don’t know the specifics but having an internship is better than sitting at home doing nothing. Take it and continue to look if you want to. The same applies of they give you a job and for all jobs you have in the future. I am not sure who this hypothetical person or group this is supposed to look horrible to. Loyalty doesn’t exist much in the business world on either side.
Is this job your boss wants to keep you around for available immediately, or does he just want you to keep interning until something comes open, and then he’ll hire you?
If you have some time before their paid job opens up, apply for other jobs now. If you get a job elsewhere before theirs would start, say that you just had to take the money and couldn’t wait for their job.
If you have to decide now whether or not you want to accept their job, if you’re sure you’ll be able to find another job elsewhere, find some really nice reason why you need to work somewhere other than at the place you’re interning.
Because, to finally answer your question, I think it does make you look like an asshole to take a job and start applying elsewhere immediately. It won’t look good for future employers (how do they know you won’t do the same to them?), and it may ruin your reference from the place you’ve just quit. Once you take a job, you should resign yourself to giving them at least some time before moving on. How long that time is depends on all sorts of circumstances, but at least six months, if not a year. (I’ve been told that in my industry you’re expected to work at least two years before you can leave a job in good graces!)
Loyalty doesn’t exist between a corporation and an employee, but your relationship with other people in business is important and burning bridges just reduces the size of your network.
To the op: be straightforward and honest with your intentions and give your boss the same respect in this situation you would expect from someone you will be hiring in the future. It’s a formula that may not get you rich quickly, but you will build a solid network with this approach, people do appreciate it.
People start running into problems when they think they’re company cares about them. I hate so sound so mean, but I’ve seen this SO many times. Bosses want to keep you around for selfish reasons, as much as you want a job for the same. It’s business.
Look the economy is bad, take the job and keep looking.
Of course when you go to quit you’re boss will be like “But I gave you a chance.” So? You gave him work for that “chance” and that makes you 100% even.
Loyalty is good, but like anything it can be misplaced. While individual managers can get their feelings hurt, this means the company itself is bad otherwise they wouldn’t have in their employ a manager who bases company business on the ability of his staff to hurt his feelings.
So YES TAKE THE JOB. It’s a hard market. You also might find when you switch from intern to full-time employee the job gets a LOT better.
Then keep looking. Other employers completely understand when you say “Do not contact present employer,” which would be this one.
Paid internship?
Imho, he could just be leading you on to get your labor cheap. I’ve worked at several places that “promised better” later.
Until you get a solid offer, start applying. It could be months or years before the position is offered to you, while better jobs come and go in the meantime.
In my case, hiring only occurs at certain times of the year. The way it is set up, I am almost forced to interview at a new place while working at the old place.
Take the job if it’s offered. You don’t want to spend the next two years frantically looking for a job, any job, getting more and more desperate as the bills pile up. Not sayin’ that’s what will happen, but … you don’t want that to happen.
Keep your eyes open for new positions. Actively seek them out. Apply for openings.
The two are not mutually exclusive. You should do both. Frankly, I’d say the same to someone in any industry.