Not sure whether I should leave my first internship
I’m currently in a mechanical engineering master’s program got my undergrad in BME and have been doing my first engineering internship at a medical device company since June. The internship was originally supposed to go until January.
I actually liked it when I first started. I was getting experience with inspections, engineering specs, quality documentation, and learning how things work in a medical device company. Recently, though, my responsibilities have shifted more toward documentation, and I've also been struggling to balance everything with grad school.
My manager and I recently talked about my schedule, and she said she could be flexible. I also asked about a pay increase, but the amount they offered was still fairly low. I then found out that an incoming intern similar role just with more Solidworks experience will be making more than me.
I understand that different positions can have different pay rates, but it honestly made me question whether I should continue. At the same time, I don't want to make a decision based only on being frustrated.
This is my first internship and probably the biggest thing on my résumé right now. I also really like the idea of being able to use my manager as a reference in the future, so I don't want to leave on bad terms.
I was originally planning to stay until January, but after looking at my current workload, I'm not sure I can give the internship the time and attention it needs. I had just told my manager that I could come in next week, so I feel bad about changing my mind so quickly.
Would you stay until December or leave and focus on finding something else? And if I leave early, would that look bad when applying for future engineering internships/jobs?
