<p>I was planning on a summer community service abroad, but my sister says it's better to do an internship just because you can have more work experience under your belt.</p>
<p>so if i could choose between an internship @ IBM (first year undergrad) and community service in Brazil, which would you choose?</p>
<p>I'm sorry if this sounds like a "bad" question... I just don't know if community service is as important in the job market as it was for college admissions...</p>
<p>Work experience is much much more important to future employers. Your work experience is likely the first thing they find out about you (through your resume).</p>
<p>an internship is much more valuable to future employers than is community service (unless you're planning a career in the Peace Corps). Honestly, no employer really cares about summers spent doing community service. They want to see you have exposure to the job, and will look at what your letters of rec or references say about what you did that summer (esp. your enthusiasm, willingness to do more than asked, examples of where you figured out what to do instead of waiting for someone to tell you what to do, etc).</p>
<p>Yes, definitely take the internship. You can spend your weekends doing volunteer work if you want to have something to put under extracurriculars.</p>
<p>i would rather travel to brazil for the summer.</p>
<p>screw just trying to look good i would do what is the most rewarding and that is traveling off to a far exotic land i mean you only live once</p>
<p>Go to IBM. Start building your resume with a great name.</p>
<p>You can always go to Brazil.</p>
<p>I agree with proton. IBM is only the geeky thing to do......My D asked me the same question last summer and I told her to do what she loves. She was accepted SCEA to Stanford.</p>
<p>GO BRAZIL!</p>
<p>I'm going to "third" the "do what you actually want to do" idea.</p>
<p>Unless this is the summer before your senior (or maybe junior) year, enjoy it for all it's worth!!!
Seriously...you have your whole life to work, don't waste your best years on an internship unless you really would rather do that than serve people in Brazil. Money isn't everything, but unfortunately a lot of people on this forum seem to think it is!</p>
<p>Since you obviously are asking this in regard to which will most benefit your career, you should choose IBM. I would go to Brazil, however.</p>
<p>The way the OP phrased the question, it seemed like it was only about impressing employers like how high schoolers pad their extracurriculars. If this is something you want to do, then go for it, especially since it's only your freshman year. But don't expect it to help you get a job.</p>
<p>I would go to Brazil. That said, if you want what "looks best", then take the internship. You can work later.</p>
<p>You're only a freshman. Go to Brazil and think about resume-building next year.</p>
<p>my advice for the OP would be to not let everything rely upon what will make you "better for the job market" -- who gives a ****, it's your freshmen year!
If you want to serve people in Brazil, do it (but if it's just to make yourself look good...), but if you'd rather be at home with friends, that's okay too.
Money isn't everything. It's helpful, but if that's all you care about in life, you're going to end up with a lot of regrets!</p>