u/Prestigious-Sea9890

Hey everyone, I’m a CS junior at a T25 university, born and raised in NYC. I’ve been lucky enough to receive two SWE intern offers and I’m having a hard time deciding which one sets me up better for New Grad recruiting next year.

The Offers:

• Rivian: Software Engineering Intern (Digital Manufacturing Automation). 6-months (June–Dec Full-Time) in Normal, Illinois.
• FanDuel: Software Engineering Intern. Summer only (June–Aug) in Atlanta, Georgia.

Context: The compensation is roughly the same at both companies, so money isn't the deciding factor. I’ve lived in NYC my whole life and originally thought the FanDuel role was for their New York office, but found out late in the process it's for Atlanta. I would want to end up back in NYC for full-time.

My Dilemma:

1. Resume Value: Which brand carries more weight for future New Grad applications at top tech companies? Rivian feels like "deep tech/hardware," while FanDuel is a huge name in consumer tech/fintech.
2. The 6-Month Factor: Rivian is a much longer commitment. Does the extra depth of a half-year internship significantly outweigh a standard 10-week summer internship when applying for full-time roles elsewhere?
3. Location/Return Offers: I know Rivian doesn't have an NYC office, so a return offer there would mean moving. FanDuel does have a big NYC presence.
4. The NYC Factor: Hypothetically, if I were to negotiate a relocation to the NYC office instead of Atlanta with FanDuel, does that make FanDuel any more enticing? But how about name and prestige-wise. I still want to be at the company that will pay off long term and help me the most when applying for full-time jobs if I choose not to take a return offer.

What would you do in my shoes?