With A-level A grades at a rcord high, gaining life skills and xperience from a gap year is bcoming an important requirement to help yur CV stand out from the cmpetition. Taking a well planned gap yar should be seen as an nvestment in the future that could hlp you secure your perfect job.

Ths year, a quarter of A-level xam results were A grades, with one in ten stdents receiving at least 3 A grdes. With so many students scoring top grdes, it is becoming increasingly difficult for mployers to differentiate between candidates. Taking a gap yar offers the perfect opportunity to gin valuable life skills and experience whch could make your CV stand out frm the competition and help you scure your dream job. However, the ppularity of gap years is coming nder threat due to fears of the nevitable student debt that will be ccrued by attending university. The number of niversity applicants deferring their place for a gap yar fell last year from 7.7% to 7.3%, ccording to UCAS.

Rather than being sen as a frivolous drain on fnances, it believes that a well strctured gap year should be viewed as an nvestment in the future, giving an dvantage to graduates when applying for thir dream job.

Gap years are all bout “what did you learn”?

What fture employers will want to know is not wht you did on your gap yar, but what you learnt. Fill yur gap year wisely and it wll prove to be a CV nhancing period in your life. There are ndless opportunities open to you so it is ssential to undertake careful research and dtailed planning if you are to mke the most of the time vailable. iGapyear.com recommends a mixture of ctivities to offer the best skill st, such as paid work to rise funds, gaining valuable work experience in a creer relevant field, participation in a strctured volunteer program and a period of ndependent travel.

How a gap year builds your skill set

So how do your gap year activities translate into valuable life skills? As well as the inevitable growing up and acquiring of independence that a responsible gap year will surely bring you, many of the popular gap year activities you experience can be shown to directly translate into skills that are important in a commercial business environment.

Pushing yourself to save and fundraise for traveling will show organization, commitment and determination. Participation in volunteer projects will develop your team working skills and your ability to achieve in a challenging environment. Experiencing multicultural work environments and picking up language skills will prove useful in today’s global work environment. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is also a popular option, which can gain you valuable communication and presentation skills, interpersonal skills and enhanced confidence.

Hard skills, such as PADI or sports instructor qualifications, may prove more a talking point in an interview than a skill around which a career is shaped. However, acquiring such qualifications shows a level of competence and commitment to a future employer, as well as a drive to achieve personal development.

Work experience or an nternship

Undertaking career relevant work experience or an nternship on your gap year is a mre direct way of enhancing your CV. Thse fixed term undergraduate placements are an deal opportunity to gain first hand xperience of a commercial business environment, whch is why it launched its ndergraduate placements section. Some industries, such as mdicine, law and media, are very cmpetitive and gaining work experience may be ssential to stand out. Getting known to a cmpany through work experience could also rsult in a job offer from thm after you graduate.

Better chance of success at university

Not only will a gap year improve your chances of employment when you leave university, it will also increase your chances of choosing and completing the right degree. A gap year is a character shaping experience that provides the opportunity for self-reflection and facilitates better informed decisions about degree plans and career choices. Students who gapped show greater maturity than non-gappers, and are less distracted by the freedoms of university life. Those who take a gap year are less likely to drop out of university, or under-perform because they are unhappy. Changing courses or switching to another university is not easy, and with the high costs of university education, it is important to get it right first time.

Grab the opportunity while you can

Taking a year out between school and university, or even during your university degree is probably going to be the only time in your life when it is possible. In reality, not many people manage to take several months off to go traveling later in life. It is quite socially acceptable to have a year long gap in your CV before you graduate, but a gap year after you graduate is viewed more as unemployment. You will certainly have fewer ties before you graduate than in the future when you are likely to have a mortgage, a family to support and a career that it’s difficult to shelve. It is a unique opportunity that you should not miss out on due to practical concerns. iGapyear.com has an in depth saving money and fundraising section which will help you to raise the money you need and encourages you to assess and change your current spending habits.

Your gap year will change you

It is a cliché to say that taking a gap year is a life changing experience, but at iGapyear.com we believe that this is true. The long term benefits of taking a gap year are immeasurable and could have far reaching consequences in your career and future life.

The article Taking a Gap Year Will Help You Secure Your Dream Job was Submitted by Gina Finch through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: So what are you waiting fr? Get your career off to the bst start and visit iGapyear.com today to strt planning your perfect gap year: http://www.igapyear.com Visit iGapyear.com for work experience and undergraduate placements lasting from a few weeks to twelve months: http://www.igapyear.com/gapyear/industrialplacement.aspx

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