People take a year out after graduation for a variety of reasons. Staleness or exhaustion is one, sometimes they do it for adventure, others do it because it postpones the need for a decision about the future.

Most Careers Services are open-minded about the idea - it can work well for some people and not for others.

Some people return refreshed at the end of the summer following graduation, or later in December, having found that getting meaningful work abroad was not easy and that they are getting bored. Some return a year later with a new positive sense of direction, while others come back to find themselves no further forward in career terms than when they set off.

If you decide that a year out appeals, please remember that it also calls for planning - the outcome will depend a lot on your own determination and perseverance.

If you do decide to take a gap year, don't forget that most recruitment activity starts early and you may miss many closing dates for graduate training schemes during your absence abroad so, ideally, try and get a job lined up for when you come back before you go.

What is it and why do it?

There are a number of reasons why people decide to take a gap year after graduating. It can be time to reflect, time to plan, freedom to enjoy space from study. It also offers an invaluable opportunity to develop skills, abilities and experiences different to those many student will have had to date.

For some it will be an essential starting point for a career. The media, conservation or environmental fields often demand work experience and this may well be one of the short term, unpaid variety.

Want to work in another country long term? Temporary work in the leisure industry or teaching English abroad can get you, geographically, where you want to be.

Whatever taking time out involves for you, it is important to focus on why you want to do it, what your objectives are and how you intend to achieve them. The main objective is to make it work for you.

Use the time beforehand to think it through, pull together a structure, do some research and set clear goals. With proper planning, it's much more likely to be a success, both for you and in the eyes of prospective employers.

Options:

1. Travelling

Is it a round the world ticket or two months in the Czech Republic? Sheep shearing in Australia or island hopping in South East Asia?

Whatever you do you will be using planning, organisation and communication skills. You'll be interacting with different cultures and coping in unfamiliar environments.

Do not underestimate the value of travel!

2. Voluntary Work

A kibbutz in Israel or environmental farm work in Amsterdam? Maybe you'll work for Oxfam in the UK, or talk to your local volunteer bureau about the range of projects on offer.

Voluntary work is just as valuable as paid work in terms of your personal development. It's also essential if you want to gain relevant work experience in career areas where paid work experience is hard to find or if you would like to work for a charitable/voluntary organisation long term.

However, voluntary work can be a bit hard on the pocket, so you may need to intersperse it with paid work.

3. Paid Work

Teaching English can be a great way to finance your stay anywhere from Argentina to Tokyo. Official TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses can be useful, but are not always essential - and can be expensive.

Any paid work abroad will give you the opportunity to become involved with the local community, developing your language and communication skills. Bar work, fruit picking, tourism, restaurant and hotel work are all things you can dip in and out of.

And, if a graduate job abroad is your goal, physically being in your target country is important. Graduate employers in other countries often favour (or demand) graduates with work experience. Stages or work placements are very common in mainland Europe. You need to be in a position where you can compete with graduates who offer this plus language and other skills.

Alternatively, you may be considering paid work in the UK to pay off a student loan, to save the money to go abroad, or simply to gain more work experience whilst thinking through what comes next.

Speak to temping agencies and jobcentres and scan local papers for short term posts in anything from retailing to finance. Many employers will now consider taking on graduates for fixed term work assignments which may give you the opportunity to gain first hand experience in a range of occupational settings.

Working in the UK also means that you are well placed to continue to use your University Careers Service which may be important to you. Check out their range of books and files on short and longer term work here and abroad.

4. Study/Courses

A short, intensive language course in the country of your choice can be invaluable in 'kick starting' your time abroad. Alternatively, you may decide to pursue a vocationally-orientated course in the UK, i.e. publishing or journalism.

Longer term study abroad needs plenty of research and forward planning so don't leave it to the last minute and hope to sort it all out in a couple of weeks.

There are many good reasons to study abroad and it will help if you are clear from the start about your motivation. The process of arranging study abroad is more complicated than sorting out postgraduate study in this country, so before you embark on the process, be sure it is right for you.

Considering a professional or vocational course abroad? You must cheek with the appropriate UK professional body that the qualification will allow you to work in the UK on your return.

Studying in Europe

Language proficiency will normally be as important as academic requirements.

Course fees are usually lower than the UK equivalent, but add on the cost of living - it may be higher.

What do employers think?

Attitudes of employers towards graduates who have taken time out (or who plan to take time out) vary from the extremely positive to the "Go on, convince me..." approach.

Factors considered will be how you use your time, how you present yourself to a prospective employer, and the perceived benefits of time out (in terms of skills gained) for the type of work for which you are applying.

Employers have been known to be wary of what they call 'long term drifters' students who have taken extended periods of time out with apparently little to show for it. You can avoid this by setting objectives for activities you undertake and reviewing your progress regularly and objectively.

On the other hand, many employers and indeed, course providers, will greatly value the maturity, independence and confidence you will have gained.

It all comes down to the 'benefits package' you present to them translate what you have gained (or plan to gain) into what they gain. Make it easy for them to see why you have more to offer as a result of your time out.

How do I fit my job search or plans for further study
around taking time out?

There are four strategies for dealing with this:

1. Apply before your time out starts

Particularly if applying for full time courses which will often defer a place (although you will almost certainly lose secured funding).

Deferred job offers are less likely but still possible.

2. Apply after you have done whatever you set out to do.

You may feel that this is more realistic - particularly if your time out is intentionally exploratory, or specifically focused on skills/experience building.

3. Apply during your time out.

Ideal if you are in the country where you want to work or study.

Not so easy if you are on the other side of the world, unless your chosen multinational employer has offices there.

4. Mixed model of 1, 2 and 3 above.

No single strategy is 'the best' - a mixed model may offer the most effective approach.

Be aware that taking time out can change you and/or open up new possibilities the options you consider before may not be those you choose subsequently.

Remember that, on your return, you can still use your University's Careers Service and that the Mutual Aid system means that you should be able to access the Careers Service of whichever University is nearest to your home address.

When do I need to start planning?

Some students will start to plan a year in advance, others a month! If you are seriously considering time out, investigate it as thoroughly as you would a career particularly as it may provide the stepping stone into that career.

It is important that you get the most out of it and so should consider a range of ways to use it. Courses and jobs in the UK can be easily researched well in advance. If you plan to go abroad you will need to address, in addition to what you are going to do, all the practical issues, i.e. finances, travel arrangements, health, accommodation.

Foreign embassies can be of help with information on more obscure destinations and to ensure that you have the up to date word on entry requirements.

And finally, plan to enjoy it! It's an opportunity to broaden your outlook, enhance your skills and have fun. Over to you ...

Action steps

• Consult the reference files and books in your University Careers Service
  
  
• Attend any relevant talks organised by the Careers Service.
  
  
• Browse the internet.
  
  
• Discuss your ideas with a Careers Adviser.
  
  
• Consider a range of options - try to pin down your motivations and identify what you want to achieve.
  
  
• Use friends and contacts - now is the time to network.

Further Information

Reference books usually in University Careers Services:

• Taking A Year Off
  
  
• A Year Off/A Year On (UK and Abroad)
  
  
• Working Your Way Around The World
  
  
• Work and Study in Developing Countries
  
  
• 'How to' guides which deal with living and working in specific countries
  
  
• Taking Time Out (Video)
  
  
• Teaching English Abroad
  
  
• Summer Jobs in Britain
  
  
• Summer Jobs Abroad
  
  
• The Voluntary Agencies directory
  
  
• Graduate Opportunity Guides (various countries)
  
  
• First Steps Plus (country factsheets)

This content is © The University of Hull. Edited and reproduced with kind permission from John Franks - Head of Hull University Careers Service. All Rights Reserved.