Does it look better to do an internship or to get a job on a resume?
I'm currently a senior in high school and will be attending college in the fall. I hope to become a doctor, and thus must be thinking ahead to medical school. I'm debating between getting a job and getting an internship this summer (and was also thinking about my time throughout college). I was wondering if it looks better on a resume to get a job, as this shows responsibility and will help me earn money to pay my tuition, or to get an internship, as this helps me gain experience and work with professionals. #college #doctor #jobs #internships #resume #medical-school #undergraduate #college-jobs
3 answers
Ryan Bonaparte
Ryan’s Answer
Strictly speaking, it doesn't matter if you choose a job or an (unpaid) internship. What does matter is that you choose to spend your summers and free time gaining knowledge, building relationships, and demonstrating an interest in the medical field. If you can find a job or paid internship that does this, then that's an ideal scenario. If not, then an unpaid internship would probably be the way to go.
When looking at a resume, admissions officers and future employers are not going to be looking at whether or not you made money during this activity. Instead, they'll be looking to see whether or not it was relevant, or if it isn't directly applicable, why it's still valuable.
If finances are tight and you need to work in order to pay your way through college, then by all means work whatever job will give you the ability to do that. Plenty of people are able to show how jobs taught them skills that they then could leverage for medical school, even if that's time management.
One last thought: as you enter into your college career, there will be hundreds of activities that you could participate in, but only enough time to do a few. Don't overstretch yourself, but do try out things that may not be directly related to medicine. You may find that those activities broaden your horizons and give you a chance to work your brain in other ways. And always make sure that your core classes are the most important part of what you're focusing on. Very few if any internships, jobs, or extracurriculars will make up for poor grades.
Best of luck and congratulations on heading to college.
Rahul’s Answer
internship is better before getting to new role
Ken’s Answer
Hi Andrea!
Your concern should not be what will appear the best on a resume, but you should be concerned about what will give you the best opportunity to see the inside of a career area to help you to determine fit and comfort level.
It would be good if you could get a job in a related career area during the summer, but if you do not need the money, a coop, internship, volunteer, or shadowing opportunity would certainly work well.
Best of luck!