Not just your plan B: How taking a gap year can benefit your future

Travelling. It’s what previous generations used to call ‘Not knowing what you’re doing with your life’. It often went alongside, ‘When are you going to get a real job?’ and ‘When are you going to settle down?’.

And there it is. This unfair accusation that taking time out to travel or work overseas is somehow a Plan B, because something in the universe f$%ked up your Plan A. Whether that was the wrong exam results, a job you didn’t get, or a break-up that turned your world upside down and made you run away to a new country.

While these are all legitimate reasons for packing your bags and moving overseas to consider your options, we’re here to talk about why working abroad doesn’t have to be your back-up – it can be your Plan A. Because a gap year can actually help your education, career or whatever comes next – not hinder it.

What is a gap year?

Traditionally, a gap year is a period of travelling, working or volunteering abroad between school and college or uni. A stop gap – somewhere between the academic world and the ‘real world’. We were never one for tradition, so for us, a gap year isn’t just for students, or grads, or for a 12-month period. What defines a gap year is taking a break to do something different. Not just to travel, but to travel with a purpose. Whether that’s to earn money, grow your skills, or simply refocus on what’s next.

Why a gap year isn't your back up

A ski season, summer abroad or gap year is a worthy advisory to any life moment where you need a change – whether that’s post school, post uni or post burnout from your quarter-life-crisis career job. But it’s a fallacy that taking a gap year is ‘running away from life’. It’s also a fallacy that a gap year will leave a gap in your CV, your finances or your life plan. You'll earn money, enhance your resume, and get a bunch of soft skills that will boost your employability when you get home. And it’s not just us that thinks so. Most employers and admission tutors now view a stint living and working overseas as a positive thing – for both your personal and professional growth.

Working overseas on your gap year

Unless you have a mattress stuffed with gold bars (we’ll be round yours in ten), if you want to go travelling, you probably need to work to save up. This usually involves moving home to save on rent, doing all the shifts in a job you don’t love, and staying in every weekend to watch re-runs and eat reduced label food in case you accidentally go out and spend all your travel fund on shots.

We’ve been there. The out-of-date lasagne DID smell weird, Friends IS still funny the third time around, and being a social pariah is NOT fun.

But if you’re planning on working while you’re away, that whole ‘Moving home to save up to go travelling’ social hermit thing can be significantly reduced. Which is great for both your sanity and your social life. Sure, there are still big upfront costs to working holidays such as flights, accommodation, visas and support funds. But the idea is that you’ll work while you’re away to fund your time out there.

But it’s not just about the money. Here are more reasons why working abroad on your gap year can positively impact your future.

Financial freedom

In traditional working holiday destinations like Canada, Japan, the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand – depending on your nationality, it’s relatively straightforward to get your working holiday visa and secure a casual job. Earning money as you travel will help to take the pressure off financially and allow you to stay away for longer – giving you more funds to try new things and more breathing space to figure out your next move.

Practical job experience

Whether you’re pre-arranging a working holiday job with us before you go or applying on the road, even the process of getting a job overseas can feel like you’ve hit a confidence milestone. From working as a slope attendant in a ski resort to a barista in a bar, you’ll get hands-on work experience that will pad out your resume, give you something to talk about in interviews, and ensure there aren’t too many gaps in your work history.

Develop soft skills

You have a long time ahead of you to do the career 9-5 thing, so take this time out to do a fun job in a dream location. Doing seasonal or casual work might not give you the specific skillset you need to take that next career step, but you will come away with a ton of soft skills that future employers will love. Skills such as adaptability, communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills are highly regarded in any workplace.

Boost your confidence

From saving up to fund your trip, to plucking up the courage to talk to hostel randoms, to dealing with whatever misadventures the road throws at you – you'll grow exponentially in confidence and independence. You literally will be able to take on the world. Professionally, it demonstrates initiative and the motivation to step out of your comfort zone. And personally, you’ll feel empowered – giving you confidence in future decisions.

Learn new skills

Whether you’re learning to ski, scuba dive or speak Spanish, a gap year gives you an open invitation to either try new things or double down on your hobbies. That section on your CV or question in an interview when you get asked about your personal interests and you draw a blank other than a ‘errrrr socialising with friends?’. Well, you just filled it with the world’s best hobby – travelling.

Gain a global perspective

Travelling and working overseas exposes you to different cultures, faiths, languages, groups and work environments – challenging our misconceptions and changing our perspectives. In an increasingly interconnected world, tolerance and humility are ‘global citizen’ traits that will help shape you personally. Plus, working in an international setting in whatever capacity will help you to stand out professionally.

Time to reflect

We’re actually stealing this answer from Georgie, our Social Media Manager. Who in her words, stuffed up her exams and went on a Plan B gap year.

“Taking a year off gave me something incredibly valuable: a whole 12 months to focus on me and my own personal growth without grades being the priority. I believe that doing this made me even more eager to learn when I did go to uni, as I knew it was actually what I wanted to do, not just what I felt I had to. I’d had the space and thrill of travelling in between and was now focused and motivated with my newfound independence making it a lot easier to be away from home and make new friends.”

Any finally...

These are just a few of the benefits to taking a gap year. We’d also argue that handling a traveller tummy on an overnight South American night bus is also a life skill you can’t live without. Whatever your reason for taking time out, we can help you figure out the visas, job and all the nerdy stuff like tax numbers and overseas bank accounts. Check out our work, intern and camp experiences here.