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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Are You Willing To Work For Less?

Taking a cut in pay in order to remain employed may feel completely unfair, if not downright wrong. But in this nutty economy, you’d be wise to make every effort to have an income – any income. Sometimes, taking less money may be your only alternative. Think about it. Just how important is money to you at this stage in your career? Some might say money is everything. But is it really?

The critical question to ask yourself is which is more important to you right now, working or money? If you have a sure thing – a guaranteed position that is offering you less money than you were making – would you go for it?

As you’ve no doubt heard time and time again, it is easier to get a job when you have a job. If your bills are piling up and you’re beginning to avoid phone calls, you may want to think about taking a position, even if it pays less, in order to seize other job opportunities when they present themselves.

Given the number of people who are currently unemployed, you should expect to find serious competition for jobs at every level of management. As ridiculous as it sounds, even people working at drive-thrus have to worry about their jobs right now, especially if they continually offer poor service. These days, employees who are unwilling to take proper care of customers are finding themselves out of work. Why? Because in this economy, there are plenty of people who will take good care of customers AND work for less.

There’s no shame in accepting a job because you need the money. Lots of people these days are taking jobs that don’t really interest them simply because they need the income. So, if you’re in need of money, try to get a job doing something! After all, work is work. Consider your options, fill out those applications, and get to work! Good Luck!

Labels: job search, recession, salary negotiation, unemployed

Posted by Seymour Jobs on 6/29/2009 09:58:00 AM
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