Think gap years are just for school leavers and time wasters? Think again! Over 30% of the volunteers sent away last year by ‘The Leap’, one of the UK’s leading Gap Year organizations, were over the age of twenty. Be it a year off before submitting to the 9-5, a Summer gap between University terms or a few months career sabbatical, a gap year has opportunities and benefits for everyone and is proving an increasingly popular option for graduates. And the great news is that the range of projects and placements on offer is now bigger than ever, volunteering opportunities from managing luxurious Safari Camps in the Mara to teaching English to kids in the Amazon are yours for the taking. So, don’t follow the graduate crowd, meandering like lost sheep from one aimless temp job to the next…test your skills, use your brain and experience a once in a lifetime opportunity that will benefit your life and career forever! Let’s face it, University (as much as we like to pretend otherwise) is bloody hard work. At least three years of gruelling mental exercise, high pressure late night essay writing all topped of with a tasty helping of last minute panic, anxiety and stress! Yes we had the time of our lives, but the last thing we want to think about as we walk triumphantly from the exam hall is the mountain of job application forms awaiting us at home. There has to be more to graduation than nagging parents and student overdrafts. If there’s ever a time in ones life that a holiday is earned then it’s post University. The notion of going straight from the lecture theatre to the graduate job is outmoded and doesn’t suit the development needs and interests of today’s University leavers. More importantly, it doesn’t generate the motivated, skilled and experienced job applicants that graduate employers are looking to recruit. There has to be another way. I believe the answer lies in a gap year. There has been much debate in the media recently as to why graduates are not matching the standards and expectations of employers. Some of this country’s biggest and most influential graduate recruiters such as Price Waterhouse Coopers and Gold and Sachs have complained that new recruits don’t have the practical skills, life experience or right attitude to learning excel in business. They suggest that the fault lies with degrees and teaching styles at Universities not adequately preparing students for the world of work. In response, educators are expanding methods of learning and assessment to match employers needs and are also introducing accredited modules in interview, computing and public speaking skills to name but a few. But isn’t it time for individuals to take responsibility for their skills base and work experience- rather than blaming a faceless system for churning out unsuitable applicants, graduates and students need to do more to prepare their CV and take control of their futures. In a competitive market where [...]