Graduate Advice - Eyes opening.....or eyes closing?
Gap years are good for the CV. With more and more people having degrees, they're a great way to show you've gone that extra mile and to get ahead of the competition. A recent survey by gap year providers Real Gap showed employers look for evidence of the sort of work and life experience a gap year can give you more than a degree when choosing between candidates.
But before you grab the next slow boat to Thailand, it's worth thinking about what it is employers value in a gap year. We've all heard the clichés: all-night parties on the beach and building orphanages in suspiciously child-free African villages. The idea that all you picked up on your trip was a tropical disease might not fill your future boss with confidence. So how can you be sure your gap year is going to help your career?
"A gap year is a great way to see different parts of the world and meet new people, whilst learning new skills that can make a great addition to your CV," advises Gillian Prichard, Endsleigh Product Manager. "However, a lot of planning needs to go into a successful trip; it's important to be fully prepared before you head to the airport."
Gillian adds, "Try to make a budget. It's difficult to gauge what you'll be doing throughout the year, but working approximately out how much you will spend per day will help keep costs low." It's also the sort of organisational skill that employers like. Most importantly, it's something you can demonstrate on a cover letter or in an interview.
Claire Mulligan is head of the travel law department at Plexus Law. She stresses the importance of being prepared for everything to be different, "The very nature of gap year travel means that often students will be exposed to infrastructures and lifestyles which they have never previously experienced." Employers like this. Telling them you've been halfway around the world to have the same lifestyle you'd have at home might suggest you're not the best person to trust with their time and money. If, however, you've researched your trip, reduced all the risks as much as possible and experienced something new and exciting, then they're interested.
"By asking sensible questions one can ensure that the risks of experiencing injury or an incident whilst abroad are reduced to the lowest level possible," says Claire, that way you and your future career are safe.
So what makes for a really good gap year? "Planning," says Matt Fletcher, STA Travel Marketing Manager, "it's as simple as that. Having a well-structured itinerary of the key things you want to do and see is really important. Have a real think about what you want to achieve from your gap year. Are there any skills you'd like to learn? Brush up on languages? Work with animals or on a conservation project?"
It's that kind of structure that will look great on your CV and will help you stand apart from anyone who just worked in an Australian bar for six months.
Quite often the difference between a gap year and holiday is that you come out of a gap year with something more than a tan. Knowing what that something is, how to go about getting it and what you'll have to show for it afterwards will make it a lot easier to
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