Should You Consider Taking a Gap Year?
You’ve just graduated from college and you’re thinking about taking a well-deserved break in the action before embarking on your new career. Besides, the current job market pretty much stinks. If this sounds like you, consider doing something meaningful as you explore your alternatives.
A “gap year” represents a prolonged period of time between two stages of life. Taking this time off is commonplace in Europe and Australia where young adults often take a break after high school or college. Graduates are encouraged to use this period to take on meaningful experiences for personal development and exploration before moving on to the next stage of life.
But, is becoming a “gapper” a smart move for you – especially given the current state of the economy? Naturally, it depends. Consider the pros and cons of taking a break.
Pros:
- You can take this time to save money for grad school, an apartment, or a car.
- If you’re tired of school, you may not do well in a grad school program without taking a break first – which could save you money in the long run.
- You can use this time to explore careers alternatives, perhaps by interning.
- Traveling across the country or abroad will allow you to explore geographical options and other cultures.
- You can use this time to “give back” to your community by volunteering.
Cons:
- After taking some time off, you may never want to further your education.
- You could lose contact with those ever-important networking contacts you’ve accumulated while in school – such as professors and professional mentors.
Many educators believe that the increased focus, maturity and motivation gappers obtain are worth the break in the “job search” action. And, given that good jobs are few and far between right now, it might be a good time to escape from the pressure that has left many recent college grads burned out – the pressure of finding a good job in a bad recession. So if you’re inclined, take some time. This gap in your resume could work to your advantage. Good luck!
Labels: career, career prep, graduate school, independent study, internship, job search, jobs after college, the real world, unemployed
Posted by Seymour Jobs on 7/16/2009 10:57:00 AM
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3 Comments:
I'm very worried about that second con on the list dealing with losing connections. I have wondered if taking a year off will make it difficult to track down old professors. What if I cannot track down an old professor with whom I had a connection but no longer teaches at my alma mater? Should I ask for the letter before I graduate and hold on to it even if it is a year old when I use it?
My advice to you, Suzanne would be to link up with your professors on a social networking site like Facebook. I'm sure your profile is already cleaned up, as you have taken the tips from previous posts :) And many professors stay connected through these sites in order to be there for students both past and present. I am currently "friends" with many professors from my major and plan to use them as references in the months to come.
To expand on Amanda's excellent advice, don't be afraid to "link up" with your professors the old-fashioned way, via telephone or snail mail. Any professor with whom you have established any meaningful connection should be more than happy to give out a phone number or personal address (physical or electronic), so don't be afraid to ask for these things. Remember, not everybody is as web-savvy as us undergrads and Bachelors, so your ability to contact past professors by more traditional means could spell the difference between a lasting professional relationship and a sorely missed opportunity.