Community service vs. extra work experience for MBA applications
Hi,
Given this background and these two options, what would you pick and why?
Background: going into IBD FT (southern hemisphere), for a grad program that starts Feb 2015 (thinking ahead and being slightly presumptuous by saying FT here- have accepted a SA position with a bank for the upcoming S. hemisphere summer, but it was made pretty clear the FT offer is mine to lose). I want to do an MBA at a top school in the US a few years down the line (starting around 2017-2018).
Options: I graduate a semester early. If given the option to start when the analyst program starts, and teach English in China/Thailand for a semester before beginning work, or starting FT when I graduate (ie around 4-6 months before the analyst program officially starts) and doing 1-2 months of cool community service abroad (building homes in S.America, wildlife conservation in Africa, that sort of thing) before starting FT, what would you pick and why? All other factors (money earned/missed out on, satisfaction from volunteering etc) aside, which would look better on MBA applications?
I've pretty much decided to start work early (and take the extra work experience alongside less time volunteering in a more enjoyable way) if given the opportunity to do so, but am curious to what others would do in the same situation.
Much appreciated!
I would never start work early... Never
I would say that you should take the time for volunteering and pick something you would enjoy. I don't think you should be too obsessed with what actually looks good on your future MBA application. This is because it's all about the impact that you make and people tend to make the most impact when they are fully engaged with what they do.
Good luck in finding what you makes get up every morning but just make sure it's not a MBA program.
Internship or volunteering? (Originally Posted: 06/28/2014)
Hello,
I'll start saying that I've volunteered in the past and I still do but always in my home city. What I'm asking is: do investment banks prefer to see a month volunteering abroad or an internship in the financial sector of a company abroad in a CV? I've just finished my freshman year by the way.
Thank you
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