Journalist Lucy Tobin considers whe

Journalist Lucy Tobin considers whether taking time out before university makes sense in the current
economic climate.
Once upon a time the gap year was the preserve of rucksack-schlepping, sandal-wearing
teenagers who would doss around South America or Asia for a few months before university. No longer.
Today's competitive job market means gappers must ensure that a year out will leave behind a sprinkling
of CV fairy dust.
That doesn't mean it has to be boring. Whether you're considering a gap year before or after
university, or much later on in life, there are plenty of ways to make it boost your employability while
having fun. Spend a few months doing work experience and making contacts in a field that interests you
before jumping on that plane to Thailand. Test out different industries. Turn that business idea you've
been talking about into reality. If it takes off, it could lower your student loan, or save you the need to
find a "real job". If not, it will show future employers your initiative.
Don't be put off if you haven't been incubating a gap-year dream since birth: there's still time to
arrange a year out at very little notice. My gap year, for example, was a last-minute rush. I had applied for
politics at university, decided very late on that I wanted to change to English, and when I called up the
university to enquire about this, I was told I'd have to take a gap year. I'd spent the summer celebrating
finishing school with friends, so when September rolled around, I had no plan or job, or, consequently,
any cash to travel with. Eventually, after a month sending a blitz of ignored emails, I managed to wangle
a job in publishing, then a journalism position at a prominent daily newspaper. It was there I decided on
my future career - all because I'd suddenly had to take a gap year.
Ask people about their year-out experiences and it will become clear how many options there are
(although don't ask too many questions: gappers tend to go on a bit). While I was commuting into London
every day, my friends were doing radically diverse things. One sold make-up at Harrods before saving
vultures in Africa; another promoted classical music to kids, yet another was an intern in parliament, and
two travelled around Asia for a year.
But - as your family and friends will undoubtedly remind you when you mention a gap year -
these are tough economic times. Graduate employment is down: a quarter of graduate job vacancies have
disappeared and the competition for each job has grown, according to the Association of Graduate
Recruiters. The job market doesn't look like it will improve overnight, so use a gap year to help yourself
stand out.
You don't need to give up ideas of travelling - a year is a long time, and you might not have the
chance to go away for that long again. But think about combining a trip with six months' work - or study.
If there's something you've always wanted to do but been held back by a lack of time, a gap year is the
time to do it. Learn to drive, type or cook. Go to hairdressing school and build up a side business in
cutting friends' hair. Or take a distance-learning course in your spare time.
Voluntary work abroad will benefit you and your CV, as well as the community or project you're
helping. You may well be able to improve your language skills too - employers love linguists. Make sure
you choose a reputable company; do plenty of research, and ask any friends for personal
recommendations. A good starting point is the Year Out Group, whose members sign up to a code of
practice. It lists gap-year companies and the locations of gap-year fairs, which many firms attend.
If you're staying at home, there are lots of rewarding and enjoyable charity work options.
It's worth thinking about what you want to get out of your gap year. At the start of mine, a fellow
gapper and I listed things we wanted to do: big plans, like achieving at least three months' relevant work
experience, but also things like making our way through a list of 50 films to see before you die, and
partying with friends at local universities to make sure we had the chance to meet lots of new people. Try
to have fun on your gap year, whatever you do. It's an incredible opportunity to see the world, work out
what you want to do with your life, and help you on your way to achieving it. Good luck - and have a
great time

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

Nhà báo Lucy Tobin sẽ xem xét cho dù dùng thời gian ra trước khi trường đại học làm cho cảm giác trong hiện tạikhí hậu kinh tế.Một lần khi một thời gian năm khoảng cách là khu bảo tồn của rucksack schlepping, dép-mặcthanh thiếu niên nào doss xung quanh thành phố Nam Mỹ hay á cho một vài tháng trước khi trường đại học. Không còn.Thị trường việc làm cạnh tranh ngày nay có nghĩa là gappers phải đảm bảo rằng một năm ra sẽ để lại đằng sau một sprinklingCV cổ tích bụi.Mà không có nghĩa là nó đã được nhàm chán. Cho dù bạn đang xem xét một năm khoảng cách trước khi hoặc sau khitrường đại học, hoặc nhiều sau này trong cuộc sống, có rất nhiều cách để làm cho nó thúc đẩy việc làm của bạn trong khicó vui vẻ. Chi tiêu một vài tháng làm kinh nghiệm làm việc và làm cho địa chỉ liên lạc trong một lĩnh vực mà bạn quan tâmtrước khi nhảy trên máy bay đến Thái Lan. Thử nghiệm trên ngành công nghiệp khác nhau. Bật ý tưởng kinh doanh bạn đãnói về thành hiện thực. Nếu nó cất cánh, nó có thể thấp hơn cho vay học sinh của bạn, hoặc giúp bạn tiết kiệm sự cần thiết phảiTìm một công việc"thực sự". Nếu không, nó sẽ hiển thị sử dụng lao động trong tương lai của bạn sáng kiến.Không được đặt ra nếu bạn đã không ấp một giấc mơ khoảng cách năm kể từ khi sinh: có vẫn còn thời gian đểsắp xếp một năm trong thời gian rất ít. Năm khoảng cách của tôi, ví dụ, là một cơn sốt phút cuối. Tôi đã áp dụng chochính trị tại Đại học, quyết định rất muộn rằng tôi muốn thay đổi sang tiếng Anh, và khi tôi gọi cáctrường đại học để hỏi thăm về việc này, tôi đã nói với tôi sẽ phải mất một năm khoảng cách. Tôi đã trải qua mùa hè kỷ niệmfinishing school with friends, so when September rolled around, I had no plan or job, or, consequently,any cash to travel with. Eventually, after a month sending a blitz of ignored emails, I managed to wanglea job in publishing, then a journalism position at a prominent daily newspaper. It was there I decided onmy future career - all because I'd suddenly had to take a gap year.Ask people about their year-out experiences and it will become clear how many options there are(although don't ask too many questions: gappers tend to go on a bit). While I was commuting into Londonevery day, my friends were doing radically diverse things. One sold make-up at Harrods before savingvultures in Africa; another promoted classical music to kids, yet another was an intern in parliament, andtwo travelled around Asia for a year.But - as your family and friends will undoubtedly remind you when you mention a gap year -these are tough economic times. Graduate employment is down: a quarter of graduate job vacancies havedisappeared and the competition for each job has grown, according to the Association of GraduateRecruiters. The job market doesn't look like it will improve overnight, so use a gap year to help yourselfstand out.You don't need to give up ideas of travelling - a year is a long time, and you might not have thechance to go away for that long again. But think about combining a trip with six months' work - or study.If there's something you've always wanted to do but been held back by a lack of time, a gap year is the
time to do it. Learn to drive, type or cook. Go to hairdressing school and build up a side business in
cutting friends' hair. Or take a distance-learning course in your spare time.
Voluntary work abroad will benefit you and your CV, as well as the community or project you're
helping. You may well be able to improve your language skills too - employers love linguists. Make sure
you choose a reputable company; do plenty of research, and ask any friends for personal
recommendations. A good starting point is the Year Out Group, whose members sign up to a code of
practice. It lists gap-year companies and the locations of gap-year fairs, which many firms attend.
If you're staying at home, there are lots of rewarding and enjoyable charity work options.
It's worth thinking about what you want to get out of your gap year. At the start of mine, a fellow
gapper and I listed things we wanted to do: big plans, like achieving at least three months' relevant work
experience, but also things like making our way through a list of 50 films to see before you die, and
partying with friends at local universities to make sure we had the chance to meet lots of new people. Try
to have fun on your gap year, whatever you do. It's an incredible opportunity to see the world, work out
what you want to do with your life, and help you on your way to achieving it. Good luck - and have a
great time