MY FIRST REAL JOB

Decisions, Decisions...

First of all, let me start by saying I feel very blessed to have job options; both because of this economy, and because I'm searching for jobs from halfway around the world.

Here's the overview of the offers:

The Boeing Company

• Location: Seattle, Washington
  
• Position: 2 year development rotation program with Boeing Commercial Airplanes
• Starting salary: Wouldn't you like to know?
• Start date: March or June 2010
  

General Mills

• Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Position: Financial Analyst
• Starting salary: see above
• Start date: January-March 2010
  

The decision process:

• Salary: Both offers were in the same ballpark
  
• Location: I have lived and worked in both cities (MSP - Summers 2007, 2008; SEA - summer 2009) and loved each of them. 
• Seattle is a bit milder and closer to the mountains and oceans (I love to snowboard and surf). I would also have the opportunity to live in either LA, Phoenix, Philadelphia or St. Louis for 4 months of the 2 years. On the downside, I'd be far from home and the cost of living is higher.
  
• Minneapolis is a great city, with a lower cost of living and I'd be close to home. On the downside, it would be cold!
• Benefits: Both companies offered assistance with graduate school, good health benefits, matching 401k incentives, cool perks and bonus opportunities. Boeing has a better education reimbursement program (they will fully reimburse education immediately) but General Mills offered more vacation time.

It was a VERY difficult decision. I've made close ties with both companies and I feel very grateful for the consideration. I know that I could be content and successful in either position. However, I don't know what I want to do ultimately. Perhaps I'll start my own business someday, but I am unsure if I will remain in the corporate world for the remainder of my career. With lack of long term vision, I looked at what would be best in the next 5 years and how to best prepare myself for what comes after that. With that in consideration, I chose to accept the offer with....

The Boeing Company

I really enjoyed my time with Boeing and Seattle this past summer. The other interns were fun and talented, my work group was helpful and enjoyable and the company culture suits my skill set - valuing leadership, self-starters and results.

Since I will be rotating through 6 functions in 2 years, I can rapidly gain experience in a short amount of time. I believe my ability to adapt and learn quickly will serve me well in proving myself during these relatively short stints. It will also be beneficial to find direction for the future and if I don't like what I am doing, it's only four months.

Additionally, having width of experience will serve me well if/when I attend graduate school. Grad school was another big factor in the decision - Boeing's education benefits would allow me to take time off for graduate school and be reimbursed within 1 year, giving me the flexibility if I change directions in my career.

Finally, I want the opportunity to experience new things. I've lived in the Midwest my whole life; I look forward to the chance living in another part of the country where I am so near to water and mountains. I also won't be starting until June 2010, giving me time to travel, spend time with family, and enjoy life before starting to work - I'll be taking suggestions on what to do for the first half of next year (and looking for a fun job to finance my adventures). Look for the blog to continue into next spring...