Best Ways To Gain Employment After A Gap Year

Taking a year off after school isn’t always a bad idea. It could be a good way to get yourself mentally prepared for the next step after you have finished your education. However, finding a job with any type of gap in your educational or employment record could be problematic. How do you find work after being out of school and work for a year?

Don’t Just Sit Around Doing Nothing

Just because you are taking time off doesn’t mean that you should be sitting around doing nothing. This is the perfect time to volunteer, find freelance work or start your own company. You don’t have to do anything big to put it on your resume. The goal is to show that you have been gaining skills while you have been away from school or work.
Stay Connected To Other People In Your Field
Social media will allow you to stay connected with others in your field. Keep in touch with old teachers, professors and those who you went to school with. When you are ready to go back to work, you will find that there are many people who are willing to say good things about you. Your contacts will be how you get back in the working world despite the fact that you haven’t had a job in the past year.

Start At The Bottom Of The Company

You may need to simply find a job with the company that you would like to work for. For example, you might take a part-time job sorting mail to get your foot in the door with the company that you really want to work for. When a job opening comes up, people in the office will know who you are. This will give you an opportunity to show that you are a capable worker who can get the job done.
Learn How To Write An Effective Resume
If you send the right message about yourself to employers, you are going to see a lot more interest in your services. What you need to do is sell yourself as someone who has what it takes to do the job despite being away for the past year. Highlight what you have done in the past year.
Emphasize how your travels have made it easier for you to think about relocating for work. Talk about how your work with disadvantaged youths has taught you to work with others who don’t share your background. These are the things that employers want to hear. Turn that gap in your resume into an opportunity to talk about how you have honed your skills.

Don’t Expect To Get A Job Right Away

The best thing you can do is be patient. In this economy, employers are looking for people who have current experience with a company. This means that you may have to go to a few job interviews before you get an offer. Don’t take it personally. A company will recognize your skills eventually.
Getting a job after a year away from everything can be difficult. However, you need to talk yourself up when looking for a job. Show employers how that year away actually made you a better person and employee. It won’t be long before some great company is offering you a great job.

About Author
Mark writes on behalf of a number of businesses on topics such as auto enrolment and fiduciary management. He enjoys reading about employment and business as much as he enjoys writing about it.  Any opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the businesses Mark writes for.