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The Gap Year: A Longer Transition After College
The gap year is gaining more recognition and popularity among college seniors these days. Websites and books are dedicated to discussing this phenomenon. As a parent, your initial response is likely to be one of bewilderment if your student plans to take time off before finding career employment or attending graduate school. Those of us in the career profession are seeing more and more students delay in their decision-making, which lends itself to this transition-year idea. In addition, many parents are able and willing to provide housing for a time after graduation, taking care of a fundamental need that had been a significant motivator to have a viable career plan. Consequently, we are intentionally addressing this new desire/need of many of our students.
This gap year results from a desire to make a difference, take time off, or just figure out what to do long term. Many have claimed to be "too busy" to engage in this career-planning process while in college. Believe it or not, there are advantages to taking a transitional year: you can have a unique experience, create an opportunity to "give back," set up residency elsewhere, work to pay off loans or save for grad school, travel, or just have fun. Among the possible disadvantages : family disagreement, less access to job-search support, more difficulty in completing an admissions process, lack of health insurance, unrealistic expectations, and giving in to peer pressure. ( NACE Journal , Spring 2006)
We are being proactive by offering information on how to plan a gap year effectively and determine if it's a good idea or not. Some of the steps we recommend include completing a resume and cover letter now that can be changed later, taking entrance exams before leaving, and staying in contact with references and employers. Setting specific goals for the transition time can lead to achievements that are more acceptable to employers and admissions counselors when the transition time is over. Also, there are gap-year resources readily available for service, volunteering, teaching, international jobs, internships, adventure jobs, and research opportunities.
However, for those not wanting to take time off, we offer many services, among them our spring First Avenue Career and Graduate School Fair on April 4, 2007 (read more at olapcfirstavenue.org ). This is a great opportunity for our students to discuss their futures with nearly 150 recruiters. Please encourage your student to register and attend.
Bonnie Jerke , Director
Career Services, Stevens 325
503-554-2330, careers@georgefox.edu
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