The traditional notion of taking a gap year is still a popular option between school and university or as a graduate before you embark on your professional career. Knowing the facts, appreciating the benefits and having sensible and sustainable motivations are a good starting point. Assessing the risks, costs, timescales, contingencies and next steps after it’s all over is also a useful exercise. Planning will take longer than you think so you need to be committed to your ideas from the word go. Use the links and PDF guides on the right to explore what is important to you. Our Careers Library Catalogue lists the publications we have in the Careers Resource Centre to help you generate ideas for your gap year.

Here are some issues to keep in mind before you make any snap decisions:

Benefits

You can use the time between your degree and work to make yourself more attractive to future employers by:

  • Developing employability skills
  • Increasing relevant work experience towards your future career
  • Investing in gaining specific vocational skills in for example IT, languages, business, or teaching will add to your portfolio.

Drawbacks and issues to consider

Certain aspects of chosing to take time out, especially if you are going to be out of the country, should be anticipated and prepared for. For instance:

  • Being away during the recruitment and selection season. Recruitment for some graduate jobs can involve very long lead times, so consider whether it's realistic for you to apply for jobs online. Will interviews be possible via Skype or will you need to come back to the UK for assessment centres etc?
  • Culture-shock. Doing some research before you go may help you adapt better, but don't underestimate the impact of this.
  • Maintaining skills and knowledge for the job market. Graduates from highly vocational degrees may find their skills become out of date, unless you can find some way of using and continuing to develop these during your time out.
  • Underestimating the costs before you set off is a common issue. Make sure you keep an emergency fund.
  • Keeping an eye on the job market for your target career while you're away may be a chore, but it's well worth the effort.
  • Selling your achievements from your time out will be necessary and needs to be impressive - consider writing a blog as this can be a great thing to include on your CV, or just keep a notebook of what you do.

After the time out - making the most of your experiences

Many graduates underestimate the benefits they've gained from their experiences. When you come to apply for graduate jobs or further study, don't forget to include information about your gap year on your CV and talk about your achievements at interviews and assessment centres.