January 31, 2009
One very common question which is asked by people who are about to conduct a career break is what should I do about planning my return to the workplace? For many, this is a very important area which needs to be resolved before they can fully commit to a gap year or career break at all. You obviously need to have some degree of security and have a future vision of how your career will pan out after your trip. As a result, there are a few tips which we can give you which hopefully your will find beneficial.
First of all, make sure that you leave your current workplace in an amicable and graceful manner. You never know when you may need them for a reference or even a future offer of employment, so it is imperative that you do not burn your bridges here.
The same can be said for clients and suppliers in your current role – a respected name in any industry is worth its weight in gold and therefore you should take some time to talk to these people about your plans and wish them all the best for the future.
Also, inform people of when you will be returning and put tentative ideas across that you may well approach them for a job at the time or ask if they could recommend you to others.
The other way to conduct this of course is to agree a sabbatical. Much of the time these are unpaid but do give you the option of returning at the end of your trip. It is common for these to be offered in larger companies, but this is not to say that smaller companies are opposed to them. It may be worthwhile you enquiring about the possibility of a sabbatical during the planning stages.
January 27, 2009
It is not uncommon for people who are planning a gap year abroad or a volunteering holiday to do so with a group of friends who are as equally committed to furthering their career as they are. This is particularly the case for people who are either about to embark on further study or who have recently left the educational system and are looking for a challenge before they enter the workplace.
As always, there are positives and negatives of this and you should consider these within the planning phase. First of all you need to assess whether the people who you are travelling with are as open to new ideas and new challenges as you are. You do not want to be held back during your gap year and it is essential that you take in and experience as much as you can during this time. If you think that you may be slightly hampered in this then it is definitely worth thinking about how you could overcome this situation.
On the reverse side of the coin, some people actually benefit immensely from travelling together with a friend or group of friends who share the same interests and are geared up for the challenges ahead. It gives them some element of familiarity with their surroundings and can therefore put them at ease a little easier than may have otherwise been the case.
In planning who you are to travel with, if indeed anyone, it is fundamental that you consider what you want to get out of the trip and if those of your friends compliment this or not.
You may have to make some tough decisions however you need to be true to yourself and make sure that you gap year is everything which you want it to be.
January 21, 2009
There are many benefits from conducting a career break and we have already explored many of these on this site. One of the main advantages which this brings is the ability to be able to enhance your CV with something unique.
When you return to work after a career break, as long as this was properly planned out from the offset, then you can be sure to return to the workplace invigorated and also ready for any challenge which is put in front of you.
Of course the infinite amount of confidence and knowledge which you have when you return back to your career will also need to be reflected on paper. In this regard, your CV can document this thoroughly and give you a definite cutting edge when it comes to advancements.
When you conclude you gap year, it is useful to jot down some ideas of how you were before the trip and the differences which this has made. Be sure not to sell yourself short and be proud of the advances which you have made. If you are unsure of the direction which this should go in, then ask people within the workplace how they think you have changed following your career break. Also it is important that you do not dismiss any compliments which you are paid and do yourself justice in your assessment.
It is advisable that you write a short and succinct paragraph on your CV documenting all the skills and experiences which were carried out during your trip. Make sure that you keep this in the same style as the rest of your CV and if you need to take advice in terms of targeting the document to your own field then this is definitely advisable.
A career break can provide many benefits both to yourself and your working environment – do not sell yourself short and be proud of your achievements.
January 12, 2009
The New York Times has revealed new figures this week which confirm the fact that the number of people taking gap years and career breaks is definitely on the rise.
However what was most striking from their research was the eclectic range of people who are conducting these trips. They are literally from every social bracket, age range and religion, making it pretty much impossible to build up a stereotypical person likely to conduct a gap year.
At one time, the appeal of the gap year was confined almost exclusively to those people coming to the end of academic study. They were believed to be the perfect adventure before the world of work somehow confined their sense of creativity. However this perception is now firmly at an end and many adults find gap years the perfect way to invigorate previous interests as well as to nurture and explore new ones. With the current economic climate resulting in more and more job losses, many adults are recognising that now is a great time to travel.
Another common misconception which has been laid to rest is that gap years are financially very expensive and therefore the older you get the more unlikely you are to embark on one. Whilst it can be true that adults need to prepare for their trip in a little more detail than their younger counterparts, the challenges are far from insurmountable. Many people are, for example, renting their homes out during their trip which acts as a great help in financing the trip and in a lot of cases takes full care of it.
Also do not assume that the term “gap year” necessarily refers to a full year away from home as this is not always the case. More and more people are now conducting two or three trips during the twelve month period and have extended breaks at home in between.
Above all, a gap year represents a challenge to the more mature individual – an opportunity to jump out of their comfort zone and really explore what adventures are before them. Many enjoy this side of things the most, although the benefits of a successful gap year are so wide and varied you are certain to find your forte – no matter who you are!
January 5, 2009
As we all welcome in 2009, many of us will be thinking about the New Year with a great deal of excitement and anticipation. This is exemplified by the fact that so many resolutions will have been made by people who are all hoping that 2009 will be the best year yet.
The start of any year is a great time for planning ahead and as a result many people consider gap years abroad and volunteering trips around this time. Indeed , many people go so far as to request literature and begin to gather some information about what the future could bring. Yet, like so many of all of our resolutions, the novelty of these can wear off quite quickly – particularly if you have set yourself some quite big targets!
However, in terms of planning and organising a gap year abroad, now is the right time to be setting the wheels in motion. This is especially true if you are considering embarking on this once you have finished college or University as you will no doubt be wanting to have everything in place before your final exams commence.
So make sure that you act on your instincts and make sure that 2009 is the most exciting and productive year yet!
