Did I waste 6+ months in the wrong internship, or is this a normal part of starting a career?
Hey everyone,
I need a reality check from people who have been in the industry longer than I have.
I'm a recent Computer Systems Engineering graduate, and I want to build my career as a software/backend engineer. I enjoy programming and I’m interested in building systems, solving technical problems, and working on things closer to software development.
About 6 months ago, I joined a residency/internship at a large industrial company. I thought I would be working closer to software development, internal tools, databases, or automation. Instead, I ended up in a department where almost everyone was an Industrial Engineer.
For the past several months, my work has mostly involved Power BI reports, spreadsheets, business processes, troubleshooting broken dashboards, and operational tasks. If I had to estimate, maybe 5% of my time involved actual programming.
To make things worse, I never really connected with the work itself. I wasn’t interested in Power BI, and many discussions revolved around production metrics, manufacturing processes, steel specifications, technical sheets, and KPIs. Meanwhile, I was much more interested in programming, software, and technical problem-solving.
Sometimes I genuinely felt like we were speaking different professional languages.
Another frustrating part was being told that moving to a different area was mostly a matter of timing, luck, and available openings rather than technical ability or career goals.
The result is that after more than 6 months, I don’t feel like I’ve grown much as a programmer. I didn’t get significant software development experience, didn’t spend much time coding, and didn’t really develop skills that align with the type of engineer I want to become.
At this point, I’m mostly watching the clock and waiting for the internship to end.
So I’d like to ask engineers who have been through similar situations:
Did I actually waste time, or is there hidden value in spending months in a role that made you realize what you absolutely do NOT want to do?
I’d especially like to hear from people who eventually became software engineers after starting in roles that felt completely disconnected from their career goals.
I need to hear your honest opinions.
Jobadvisor
This is a genuinely hard situation, and your frustration makes complete sense. But here's the honest answer: it's both. It wasn't ideal, and it wasn't wasted. Let me break that down.
What you didn't waste
Clarity is underrated. A lot of people spend years — not months — drifting through roles that don't fit because they never got a sharp signal. You got yours at 6 months. You now know, with real certainty, that you want backend/software engineering, not BI work or industrial operations. That's not nothing — it's actually one of the most valuable things early career can give you.
Domain exposure has a shelf life. You spent months inside a large industrial company understanding how production systems, KPIs, and operational data actually work in the real world. That knowledge feels useless now. But backend engineers who understand manufacturing data pipelines, industrial IoT, or ERP systems are genuinely rare and valuable — not because you need to love it, but because you can talk to those clients when others can't.
You survived a misalignment. Handling months of work you're not passionate about, staying professional, finishing the residency — that's a real signal about your own resilience. Hiring managers notice people who see things through.
What you should honestly acknowledge
You're right that the technical growth was minimal. Six months of mostly Power BI and spreadsheets doesn't build the coding depth you need. That gap is real, and you'll need to close it actively — through side projects, open source contributions, or your next role. Don't pretend otherwise on your resume or in interviews.
What actually matters now
The internship is almost over. The question that deserves your energy isn't was this a waste — it's what do you do in the next 90 days.
- Build something. Pick a backend project you're genuinely interested in and ship it. Even a small REST API, a CLI tool, a database-backed app. Put it on GitHub. This is the single highest-leverage thing you can do right now.
- Be specific in your job search. Don't apply to "software engineer" broadly. Target companies where the engineering work is the product — not support roles at industrial companies where software is a cost center.
- Reframe the internship honestly. You don't have to pretend it was great. In interviews you can say something like: "I learned quickly that I wanted to be closer to the code and took it as a signal to focus my search." That's honest and shows self-awareness.
The engineers who look back on early misfits and call them "wasted" are usually the ones who didn't learn from them. You clearly have. That puts you ahead of where you think you are.
I have a medical degree and 12 years of healthcare research experience. I cannot get hired as a dishwasher. Houston, I am begging you — does anyone know anyone who is hiring?
I am going to write this out plainly, because I am too exhausted to dress it up.
I lost my job. I have been applying for positions that match my background — drug safety, pharmacovigilance, medical affairs, clinical research — and the market is brutal. I know that. I am not the only one. But I have also been applying for jobs I never imagined applying for: dishwasher, warehouse, caregiver, retail associate, house cleaner. I am not getting those either.
Apparently even washing dishes requires knowing someone. So here I am, on Reddit, asking if you know someone.
Two weeks ago, a physician interviewed me for a patient advocate role. At the end, he looked me in the eye and said, "You are perfect for this job." I went home and cried — the good kind of cry. Relief. I told myself it was going to be okay. He has not responded to a single message since. Not a rejection. Just silence. I don't know which is worse.
I battle depression every day. I say that not for sympathy but because I think a lot of people in this situation do and nobody says it out loud. The job market right now does something to a person's sense of self that is genuinely hard to describe. You start to wonder if the problem is you. It isn't. But it feels like it is.
I want to tell you a little about myself — not to brag, because this is clearly not going the way I planned — but because I want you to understand who is on the other side of this post. I am an MD. I spent years in medical research because I wanted to contribute to science and patient safety and because, if I am being honest, residency was financially impossible without a support system I didn't have. Research was real, meaningful work. I built entire safety departments from nothing. I trained teams. I wrote the procedures regulators reviewed. I genuinely loved it.
And right now I am scared I am going to lose my house.
I am not asking for a handout. I am asking for work. I am able-bodied, over-qualified for most things, and I will show up on time and give everything I have. If you are Houston-area and you know anyone — a clinic, a warehouse, a restaurant, a healthcare org, a CRO, a startup, a family friend who needs a personal assistant, anyone — please reach out or drop a comment. I will DM you immediately.
I am attaching an anonymized summary of my background below so you can see I am serious. Thank you for reading this far. Houston, I know you take care of your own. I am counting on that right now.
---
**ANONYMIZED PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND**
MD | Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist | GCP/ICH Certified
Greater Houston Area · Available immediately · Open to any role
**SENIOR-LEVEL EXPERIENCE**
Medical Monitor / Clinical Safety Physician — Global Medical Device CRO (Remote, 2020–Present)
- Oversaw safety data across oncology, hematology, and rare disease clinical trials worldwide
- Reviewed adverse events, wrote regulatory safety narratives, consulted with physician investigators
- Zero major regulatory findings across all assigned studies
Clinical Safety & Medical Affairs Lead — Medical Technology Company (2015–2020)
- Built the clinical safety function from scratch: SOPs, pharmacovigilance workflows, regulatory submissions
- Authored DSURs, IND Annual Reports, Investigator Brochures for FDA/EMA review
- Maintained zero major regulatory findings over 5 years
Director of Clinical Operations — Research Organization (2020–2022)
- Managed 15+ investigative sites nationally; trained 50+ investigators and coordinators
Independent Medical Consultant — Self-employed (2016–Present)
- Pharmacovigilance review, medical writing, safety consulting for global biotech clients
**ALSO WILLING TO DO**
Caregiver · Patient advocate · Medical scribe · Administrative assistant · Warehouse · Retail · Housekeeping · Any honest work in the Houston area
Jobadvisor
Got it. Here are three tailored cover letter openings — each one strips away the intimidating credentials and leads with what hiring managers for these roles actually want to hear: reliability, work ethic, and people skills.
Option 1 — Caregiver / Patient Advocate
I am a physician with over a decade of experience in healthcare who is looking to contribute in a direct, hands-on capacity. Throughout my career, what has mattered most to me is the person in front of me — their safety, their dignity, and their wellbeing. I am patient, calm under pressure, and genuinely committed to showing up for the people I work with. I am available immediately and looking for a role where that commitment means something.
Option 2 — Medical Scribe / Administrative Assistant
I am an MD with 12 years of clinical research experience, including extensive medical writing, documentation, and regulatory work. I am detail-oriented, fast, and highly comfortable in clinical environments. I am currently seeking an administrative or support role where I can contribute immediately — I take any job I accept seriously, and I am known for being the person teams rely on.
Option 3 — Warehouse / Retail / General Labor
I am a dependable, hardworking professional looking for full-time work in the Houston area. I am physically capable, punctual, and bring the same focus to any job I take on that I brought to a 12-year career in healthcare. I learn quickly, follow instructions precisely, and do not call out. I am available immediately and will give you everything I have.
A few notes:
- Option 3 intentionally downplays the MD — for warehouse and retail roles, over-qualification is often the reason you get screened out. Leading with the degree can hurt you. If you want, I can write a version that omits it entirely.
- All three can be adapted into a full cover letter — just say which direction you want to go and I'll build it out.
- If you're applying to caregiver roles through agencies (Home Instead, Visiting Angels, etc.), the tone of Option 1 fits well as an intro paragraph before describing availability and certifications.
Which of these feels closest to what you need?
What can i do?
Guidance needed
So I am in a tier 2.5-3 college of DU \[Shyam Lal\]. I am doing a B.Com program \[giving 2nd-year exams\]. I was depressed as hell after I came to know Shyam Lal was not a North Campus college as shown on their website, and my studies went down \[average GPA 7.5\]. Now that I've had a wake-up call, I am about to enter my 3rd year. I want to do CFA but do not have the funds right now. I will do it side by side with my job \[if I manage to get one\].
What skills and what all can I do to get 7 LPA as a fresher, because that is the minimum amount I would need to support my household and CFA cost?
I am in quite a dilemma
Jobadvisor
First off, breathe. Take a second to acknowledge that you just dragged yourself out of a deep, dark depressive phase, gave yourself a wake-up call, and are actively planning your future. That takes serious resilience.
Let's address the elephant in the room with absolute honesty: the website misled you, and Shyam Lal is an off-campus college in Shahdara, not the North Campus hub you envisioned. It sucks, and your frustration is 100% valid. But here is the reality check: Your college tier does not define your lifetime earning potential. It only defines your starting line.
Now that you are entering your 3rd year with a 7.5 GPA (which is decent and perfectly salvageable), let’s build a realistic bridge to that 7 LPA target. The median package at Shyam Lal sits around ₹4.6 to ₹5 LPA.
Here is your tactical, step-by-step roadmap for your final year.
1. High-Income Skills to Build Immediately
A standard B.Com degree won't fetch 7 LPA. You need to combine your accounting knowledge with data and technology. Pick one of these tracks based on your interests and master it over the next 6 months:
Track A: Corporate Finance & Investment Banking Analyst
If your ultimate goal is the CFA, this is your best bet. Companies pay a premium for freshers who don't need training on day one.
The Skill: Advanced Financial Modeling & Valuation. You must know how to build three-statement models, DCF (Discounted Cash Flow), and comparable company analysis.
Tools: Advanced Excel (VBA, Macros, Pivot Tables) and Power BI.
Where to learn: Free resources like Aswath Damodaran’s YouTube playlist on Valuation, or structured courses on platforms like Coursera/Udemy.
Track B: Financial Data Analytics
Finance is entirely data-driven now. If you can bridge the gap between business numbers and data tools, you are highly employable.
The Skill: Data manipulation, automated financial reporting, and data visualization.
Tools: SQL (essential for pulling data) and Python (specifically libraries like Pandas and NumPy for financial data analysis).
Where to learn: Kaggle, freeCodeCamp, or Chandoo (for Excel/Power BI).
2. The Step-by-Step Execution Plan
Keep your final year GPA above 7.5 (ideally push for an 8.0). Many premium companies (like the Big 4 or global banks) use a 7.0 or 7.5 CGPA as an automated initial resume filter.
Do not wait for graduation. Actively hunt for internships on Internshala, Wellfound, or LinkedIn. Look for roles like "Financial Analyst Intern," "Valuation Intern," or "Data Analyst Intern." Even if they pay a tiny stipend, the brand name and experience on your resume are what will unlock 7 LPA later.
Since you don't have a "North Campus" tag, your proof of work is your ticket in. Build 2 or 3 solid financial models or data dashboards of real companies (e.g., analyzing Zomato’s financial health or a valuation of Reliance). Upload them to GitHub or share your insights as presentations on LinkedIn.
Do not rely only on Shyam Lal's placement cell. Register for DU’s Centralized Placement Cell. This opens up equal-opportunity placement drives where top-tier companies recruit students from all across Delhi University colleges.
3. Target Companies & Alternative Funding for CFA
To hit 7 LPA as a finance fresher, look past local firms and target global capability centers (GCCs) and boutique financial firms in Gurgaon and Noida.
The Targets: Think Genpact (Frontier roles), WNS, eClerx, TresVista, Acuity Knowledge Partners, or operations/analyst roles at global banks like HSBC, NatWest, and Barclays.
The Interview Hack: They will test you heavily on accounting basics (Golden rules, Ind-AS basics, cash flow statements) and your Excel skills. If you can speak intelligently about your portfolio projects, you easily separate yourself from 95% of applicants.
Pro-Tip for your CFA Dream:
Do not stress about the current lack of funds. The CFA Institute offers Access Scholarships and Women's Scholarships (if applicable) which slash the exam fees by over 60-70%. Applications usually open around January/February. Keep a sharp eye on their official website during your final year. Furthermore, many of the companies listed above (like TresVista or global banks) actually sponsor or reimburse your CFA exam fees if it aligns with your job profile.
You stumbled in your second year, but the race isn't over. You have an entire year to build a profile that commands the market rate you need. Focus on what you can control: your skills, your portfolio, and your daily consistency.
Got rejected, then offered the job days later. Red flag or normal?
So I was interviewed, told I was a "great fit," and informed that an offer letter would be sent after my references were checked. After I followed up a few days later, they told me they had selected another candidate. Then, a few days after that, they came back and said they wanted to offer me the job.
Would you accept an offer if they turned you down and then came back to you?
CONTEXT: I had an interview with a small company. The interview went well with the CEO and the Financial Controller. They said they would send an offer letter after I provided my references.
After the interview, I sent a thank you message and mentioned that I would send my references. It was Friday, so I had to work on it over the weekend.
Here’s what they actually said in their emails. I just want to share them coz I may be misunderstanding and assuming they intended to offer me the job.
FC: “It was a pleasure speaking with you and believe this would be a mutually great fit. I look forward to receiving your references and moving forward. Thank you.”
CEO: “Thank you for your time today. We look forward to receiving your references and FC will then get a formal offer out to you.”
Monday...
CEO: “Good morning, I hope you had a great weekend. Can you let me know when we can expect your references so we can verify employment and perform the reference checks?”
I was still trying to reach out to my former managers, but I hadn’t heard back from them, so I sent the references I had available. I was later informed by my references that the company had contacted them, so I believe all of them were called.
Then there was silence for the rest of the week.
I was honestly a little excited because the interview had gone well, and they specifically said in their emails that I was a “mutually great fit” and that they would send an offer after receiving my references. I thought I would receive an offer within 24–48 hours, although I understood it could take longer than that.
The entire week passed without any updates, and then there was the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. I decided I would follow up the next day, Tuesday.
On Tuesday afternoon, I sent a follow up email. They replied within five minutes.
FC: “Hello…..Thank you for reaching out and our apologies on the delayed response. We appreciate your time and commitment during the interview process; we however did select another candidate for the position. We wish you the best of luck in your job search. Thank you.”
I was like, what?! My initial reaction was that it felt unprofessional and like poor communication. I honestly thought I was the chosen candidate based on what they had told me. So I moved on. Lol
Then today (Friday), I missed a phone call because I was taking a nap. I noticed the missed call, checked my email, and saw that it was from the company.
“Hello……I just gave you a call; we initially thought we could fill this position internally but have come to conclusion that we do need to make this hire.
We would like to extend an offer to you if still interested, please give me a call to discuss further. Thank you.”
Again, I was like, what?! I honestly don’t know what to think or how to react. Tbh I'm still actively job searching, and my experience is fairly niche. It's not easy for me to find roles that closely match my background, so this position actually felt like a very good fit for my experience.
What would you do in this situation?
Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any advice.
Jobadvisor
This is a genuinely mixed signal situation — not a clear red flag, but worth going in with eyes open. Here's how to think about it:
The most likely explanation is benign. The "filled internally" message is extremely common in small companies. A CEO or FC probably floated the idea of promoting someone or shifting responsibilities, which temporarily killed the external hire — then that fell through. This happens constantly at small firms where decisions are fluid and involve just a few people. It's not malicious, just disorganized.
What actually is a yellow flag is the communication pattern. You went from "we'll send you an offer" to silence to rejection to re-offer in about two weeks. That's not a disaster, but it does tell you something: this company makes decisions somewhat impulsively and doesn't communicate proactively under pressure. At a small company, you'd work closely with exactly these two people (the CEO and FC), so that matters.
The positives are real too. They came back to you specifically rather than reopening the search. That suggests your references checked out well and they genuinely want you, not just a warm body. The original enthusiasm also appeared consistent across both the CEO and FC, which isn't nothing.
What I'd actually do in your position:
- Call them back and have the conversation. Don't accept on the spot — ask about timeline, start date, and compensation first.
- It's completely fair to ask, casually and without accusation, what changed. Something like "I appreciate you reaching out — can you help me understand what the role looks like now?" A good employer will answer that directly.
- Use the offer negotiation as a small test of how they communicate under mild pressure. Are they straightforward? Do they drag their feet on the offer letter again?
Given that your experience is niche and this felt like a genuine fit, the situation is probably more awkward than alarming. The core question isn't whether to be insulted — it's whether the job itself is right for you. That answer sounds like it hasn't changed.
28 year old Account Executive. Am I crazy to leave my job to be a technician?
I'm a 28 year old guy and I live in California. I am an Account Executive for an international Fortune 100 company. My OTE is $155k a year.
Holy fucking shit I hate it. I haaaate it. I don't like business, I don't like having a quota. I don't care about sales projections, or "improving my forecasting skills".
I'm not a big hungry hunter. I don't care about getting a huge deal. I don't want to be better than everyone else. I have no interest in competing in national sales challenges for big fancy vacations and bonuses. I don't care.
Anyways, I want to be a biomed technician. The guy that goes to hospitals to fix equipment like MRI machines and whatnot. It doesn't pay great, especially to start, but I believe I can eventually make a solid living. And it leads to things like project manager which I'm interested in.
It honestly sounds like heaven. I love being deep in manuals, and working with my hands. I love electronics, I love solving technical problems. I love the idea of having an assigned task, popping in my earbuds to a podcast, and just focusing on the task at hand.
I'm a technically minded person, I always have been. I've been a hobbyist programmer for 10+ years, making little projects here and there just for the love of the game.
I should have gone to school for engineering. It's one of my biggest regrets, because I'm an engineer deep down. I know that I can "always go back", but it's much more complicated than just doing that, and it's just not really an option right now.
But I'm lucky. I don't have a single bit of debt. I don't have kids. I don't have a mortgage. and I have very minimal bills. and I have a fiancée that's awesome, and we never want kids and are generally very financially smart. She has a job that she loves, it doesn't pay well right now, but it will eventually.
Am I crazy to leave my job that I am very fortunate to have?
Jobadvisor
You are absolutely, 100% not crazy.
In fact, you are in a textbook position to make exactly this kind of pivot. You are facing a classic crossroads: continuing to trade your mental health for a spreadsheet-driven corporate rat race you despise, or taking a temporary financial step back to build a life where you actually enjoy your day-to-day existence.
Given your lack of debt, lack of kids, and a supportive fiancée, you aren't being reckless—you're being strategic.
Here is a grounded look at why your plan makes sense, along with a few realistic caveats to keep in mind.
Why You are Perfectly Positioned for This
1. The "Golden Handcuffs" Don't Actually Choke You
A $155k OTE in California is great, but it loses its power if you have no time, energy, or mental peace to enjoy it. Because you have zero debt, no mortgage, and no kids, you aren't trapped. Your fixed expenses are low, which means your "survival number" is much lower than most 28-year-olds making your salary.
2. You’re Moving Toward Something, Not Just Running Away
A lot of people quit sales because it’s hard, but they have no plan. You have a highly specific, tangible goal: Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET).
You love manuals, electronics, and troubleshooting.
Your 10+ years of hobbyist programming prove you have the logical, systems-thinking brain required for the job.
You aren't romanticizing it into a "dream"; you explicitly acknowledge the pay cut.
3. BMET is a Great Career with Upward Mobility
Field Service Engineers (FSEs) and BMETs who service high-end modality equipment (like the MRIs, CT scanners, and X-ray machines you mentioned) actually make very good money.
While entry-level bench tech jobs might start lower, OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers like GE HealthCare, Siemens, Philips) pay their field technicians quite well—often reaching six figures with overtime, bonuses, and a company vehicle.
Your sales background is a secret weapon here. You know how to talk to angry clients, manage expectations, and communicate clearly. A tech who has both elite troubleshooting skills and corporate-level soft skills is a unicorn.
The Reality Check (What to Prepare For)
Before you hand in your resignation, there are a few realities of the tech life to map out with your fiancée:
The Earbud Myth: While you will get plenty of "heads-down" time with manuals, servicing hospital equipment often means interacting with stressed biomedical departments, doctors, and nurses who need their million-dollar machine running yesterday. Your communication skills will still be heavily utilized.
The On-Call Grind: Hospitals operate 24/7. High-end imaging techs often have to pull on-call rotations, meaning you might get woken up at 2:00 AM on a Sunday to go fix a broken CT scanner in an emergency room.
The Training Requirement: To get your foot in the door at a hospital or major OEM, you usually need an Associate’s degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology, Electronic Engineering, or equivalent military training (like BMET school). However, with your programming background, you might look into accelerated certification programs or direct-hire trainee roles at OEMs.
Your Action Plan
Don't just rage-quit tomorrow. Use your current corporate stability to launch your escape pod safely:
[ Build a 6-12 Month Runway ] ──> [ Research Training/Certifications ] ──> [ Network with Local BMETs ] ──> [ Make the Leap ]
Aggressively Stack Cash: Since you hate the job anyway, detach emotionally from the quota and treat it purely as a funding mechanism for your next life. Save every single penny of your commissions and base salary to build a massive "transition fund."
Look into the AAMI / CABT: Look into the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and the Certified Associate in Biomedical Technology (CABT) exam. This is a great entry-level baseline.
Shadow Someone: Reach out to BMETs or Field Service Engineers on LinkedIn. Tell them you're an AE looking to transition and ask if you can buy them a coffee to ask about their day-to-day.
You’re 28. You have roughly 35+ years of working life left. Spending those decades chasing a sales projection that brings you zero joy just because it pays well is the real definition of crazy. Go fix the machines.