Now, it is becoming more popular amongst adults and working professionals as well. Regardless of where you are in life, taking a year off to focus on broader and deeper personal development has enormous values. It not only helps one grow and mature as a person but also provides an uplift in their professional success.
80% of those who’ve taken a gap year (“gappers”) believed that gap year actually improved their employability. Employers appreciate candidates who take risks and push the boundaries of their own comfort zone. Besides, why not take a year off and go on as many exciting adventures as you can fit in it?
If you are an aspiring gapper or at least temptingly curious, there are a few things that you should consider to maximize how you spend the 365 days:
- Volunteer opportunities
- Popular gap year travel destinations
- Unique adventures
- Work opportunities or gigs
- Logistics
Just going on a binge of trips and having a year-long vacation does not do the opportunity justice. Rather, take the rare opportunity to challenge yourself and get exposed to once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will give you perspectives that you can carry into the rest of your long life.
Fortunately, there are many sponsoring organizations, online resources, and communities of similar-minded young adults that aspiring gappers can rely on to gain insights and advice from. Let’s go through some key pointers about creating the most fabulous plan for your gap year.
1. Finding Gap-Year Communities and Organizations
There are various types of gap year organizations that host pre-made programs. They handle the logistics and allow you to work, volunteer, or conduct other activities designed to engage with new cultures and learn new skills. Certain accredited programs provide skills-based training or volunteer projects in various locations.
There are online communities where previous and future gappers can connect to exchange ideas and share ‘must-know’ tips about traveling logistics in certain areas. Being in a cohort, formal or informal, could be useful especially for those who haven’t traveled much. The benefits of being in a formal program are that you don’t have to deal with the grunt work of planning and it’s easier to get connected with employers. However, there’s less flexibility and following a pre-coordinated plan might make you miss out on unique, under-the-radar experiences.
2. Ideal Gap-Year Destinations
While you can technically travel to any country where you are allowed to visit as a tourist, you may want to choose your destinations by balancing out travel appeals, ease of transportation (especially as a foreigner), and access to work/visa restrictions.
For instance, many countries have working holiday visa agreements with each other where their citizens can freely travel between and gain temporary employment during their journey. There are a lot of options for EU citizens. Since the US has stricter visa requirements for entry, they only have agreements with 6 other countries - Australia, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, and South Korea. Each program is slightly different but it normally allows the visitor to travel for up to a year and work up to 6 months or less.
3. Getting Work
Finding professional internships or other job opportunities could be challenging given the time limit. But there are industries where opportunities are bountiful and you can also make decent income to fund your adventures. Hospitality industry is often the best place for backpackers and temporary workers who are passing through. In Australia, for instance, the working holiday visa holders often work at bars/ restaurants, on farms, or as au pairs for a few months. But the most coveted positions are in construction and trades. You can get training for a day or two to get licensed to work at heights which will make scoring a job in the field fairly easy.
With the rise of the gig economy, work doesn’t have to be based in the place you are. There are many freelancing opportunities online (Upwork, Fiverr). It could be an opportunity for you to take on an assignment and learn a new skill or try something different. How about creating your own project? Since you are traveling already, you can try creating a travel blog or social media presence and see if you can grow followers. Real-life marketing experience without getting a degree - that’s the kind of story you want to tell on your return!
