© Imperial College LondonPage 1 Taking a Year Out Irena Jennings Careers Adviser.

© Imperial College London

Taking a Year Out

Irena Jennings

Careers Adviser


The session aims to help you …

• Understand the benefits / possible disadvantages of taking a year out

• Consider what you want to gain from the experience and begin to develop an action plan to help you achieve it

• Identify sources of information to help you plan your time out after graduation


Why take a year out?

• To earn some money / pay off your debts?

• To travel the world, see different places?

• To gain some relevant work experience?

• Take a break from studying?

• Enjoy yourself before embarking on a career?

• To help you decide making a career choice?

• A bit of all the above?


Advantages – disadvantages?


Benefits of taking a gap year

• Developing new skills

• Experiencing a different way of life / insight into other cultures

• Learning to be adaptable/flexible

• Having another set of experiences to talk about at job interviews


Disadvantages of taking a gap year

• One year behind peers (established in the workplace, having started a career)

• Potential health risks / dangers

• Living on a budget

• Loneliness

• Ignoring the graduate recruitment timetable could mean a second year out! (more later)


What do employers think?

"Most recruiters look favourably upon people who have taken gap years, if they are able to draw on their experiences and show an employer how they might make them more effective in the role they are applying for."

Carl Gilleard, AGR


What’s available?

• Volunteering/working for a charity

• Gap year projects

• Travel independently / organised trekking

• Working abroad

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language

• A supervised/organised project

• A mixture of some or all of these

• Job / placement / Year in Industry


Before you go (1/2) www.gogapyear.com

Money (daily budgets, power of attorney for your bank account )

Health (visit GP 4 months before you go,

jabs, food/water dos & don’ts, medical kit with re-hydration salts, antiseptic wipes)

Insurance (research / buy what you need)

Flights / travel expenses (return flight ticket, get a travel discount card – ISIC, VIP,

Gap Year, Nomads) Security (check the political situation,

embassy contact details)


Before you go (2/2)

Passport / visa (know what’s required, scan your documents into the computer & email details to yourself backup if stolen)

Research cultural differences (local customs,

food, public holidays, etc.) Ethical dilemma (where does your fee go?)

Overall: plan for a “what if…“ scenario

Have a re-entry strategy


Planning for re-entry

• Many employers start advertising from 1 September (for following September start); some recruit all year round

• Research your job sector, know the deadlines

• Internet access?

• Sharpen your tools (updated CV, draft covering letter / application questions)


Learning from the experience

• Keep a journal• Reflect on positive and negative

experiences• What was your greatest achievement?• If you encountered a challenging situation,

how did you deal with it? • What would you do differently, if you had a

second opportunity?


If things don’t work out

• Embassy’s contact details

• Know local emergency number

• Seek help from others

• Keep your family informed

• Keep emergency contact details on your person

• Learn from the experience!


Resources

• Websites

• Books

• Careers Service – reference materials

• Previous participants from your chosen scheme

• Meetings / preparation sessions run by the organisers


Have a great time!

© Imperial College LondonPage 1 Taking a Year Out Irena Jennings Careers Adviser.

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