Pre-Graduation Quarter Syndrome occurs in students either entering or in the last quarter of their degree program.
Another common symptom is a wavering moral ideology. As the student prepares for the natural progression from academia to industry, they become more aware of why others work for companies who’s driving principles do not align with their own. Be it due to a lack of other offers, greater compensation, less stressful work environments, or a multitude of other possibilities, the student may consider working for such company for what they tell themselves to be “at most” a few years.
A lot of decisions seemed a lot easier to make when I was younger. Black and white. Every question had an answer, and everything else was wrong. Simple. Choosing which company to apply to and allow myself to work at doesn’t seem to be quite as simple.
During my first undergraduate degree, I talked to a small company that was looking for interns in electrical or mechanical engineering. I happened to be, at the time, studying both. When I approached their booth at the career fair, not only were the engineers that I talked to very personable and welcoming, but the company itself had never lost an engineer. What a fantastic sign of how much I would enjoy my work. Our conversation at the career fair went so well that they actually extended an offer for me to join them as an intern, without even completing an interview.
The only catch was that the company was a weapons manufacturer. At the time, I had nothing else lined up for what I thought was the last summer of my undergraduate career. If I took this offer, I was sure I could get a return offer and a great stable job for myself. I would just have to get used to the idea that things I create were being used to threaten and harm other people. That’s not something that I took lightly. I ended up not taking the offer, not having a job lined up for the summer or after I graduated, and my career in mechanical engineering stalled. As I put the finishing touches on my computer science degree, I find myself in a similar position.
There are tons of companies out there who profit off of violence, laborer abuse, social irritation, or a number of undeniably unjust things. It would seem, upon a glance, that these companies would be easy to ignore. The only problem is that these companies hire tremendous amounts of engineers.
The thing is, if it’s not me, it’ll be somebody else. Somebody else make that weapon that’s used on fleeing enemies. Somebody else will create that robotic system that tracks and fight humans. Somebody else will write the algorithm that pits us against our neighbors. That’s why each time I come across a new posting at a new immoral company, I find myself asking the question–“how long could I work here and still respect myself?”.
