Advice Needed: Choosing Between Two Internship Offers (Assalamu Alaikum)
Assalamu Alaikum - I’m a junior studying Econ + Psych with an additional focus in UX Design. I enjoy creative problem solving and want a career that mixes creativity with interdisciplinary challenges. I also like working with data, so I’m leaning toward roles with a data/analysis component that could lead into consulting or advisory-type work (including product management-ish roles). I have two internship offers that pay about the same, so salary isn’t the deciding factor - I’m thinking more about which one will open better doors after graduation. Offer 1: Caterpillar - Procurement Intern (suburban IL). I’d need to relocate and they offer a $3,900 relocation bonus. Key responsibilities include: - Working on an e-commerce product that helps dealers order machines and work tools - User acceptance testing and training - Supporting deployment and integration of a Sales & Operations Planning product portal and a Gen AI digital assistant - Regional rollout of an auto-replenishment project (training, feedback, continuous improvement) - Support for sales & operations planning for work tools and dealer support - Developing and testing a dealer order conformance workspace Offer 2: Early Career Intern Program at Marsh - more advisory/insurance risk work. Typical activities include: - Working with client accounts (small businesses to large companies) to assess and help manage risk - Building relationships with insurers and negotiating quotes - Shadowing senior leaders and brokers; preparing benchmarking reports and client presentations - Helping develop renewal strategy documents and collaborating on regional projects and virtual learning communities - Networking across the organization My main questions: which of these is more likely to lead to consulting or advisory roles (or product/PM roles) after graduation? Which one would better build transferrable skills for a career that combines data analysis, UX-minded thinking, and problem solving? Also - Marsh’s deadline is tomorrow, so I need to decide soon. Any practical advice or personal experiences with similar internships would be really helpful. JazakAllah khair.