We’ve all heard of gap years, and no doubt anyone you know that’s been on one will talk about it all the time. The concept is straightforward; you take a year out from your regular life and travel around the world. Some people stay for months in one place, while others are only in one location for a week max.

Naturally, I’m not interested in the ins and outs of a gap year. Instead, I’m more concerned with how it affects your career. Will a gap year be a positive influence on your career? Or will it prove to be costly? To figure this out, we have to look at the pros and cons.

Teaching is one of the many jobs you can find while you travel.

Pro: Job Opportunities While You Travel

Many people that have been on gap years will claim they’re fantastic for your career as they open up many job opportunities while you travel. It’s not unheard of for someone to go away to a non-English speaking country and get a job as a teacher while they’re there. Then, you have ski seasons, which are popular gap year ideas where you go to a ski resort and essentially work there for months. There are loads of ski jobs available that mean you can get paid while on your gap year. The same idea applies to wherever you’re going; there are chances to find employment. So, you can still have a career, but at the same time enjoy the fun of a gap year. What’s more, these jobs provide valuable experience that may help you when you come home.

Con: Missed Opportunities

On the flip side, it’s easy to argue there are missed opportunities back home because you’re away. What if you leave your job and within a few weeks they open up a position that would’ve been perfect for you to be promoted into? You’ve missed your chance at climbing the career ladder because you’re away. Likewise, what if you were waiting for the dream job opportunity to open up, but it didn’t come. So, you go away on your travels, and unbeknownst to you, the perfect job presents itself while you’re away. This is one of the main issues people have with going on a gap year; it takes a massive chunk out of your career where you may miss vital chances.

A gap year can help unveil a new career opportunity.

Pro: Leads To A New Career

This point blends in with the first pro about finding job opportunities abroad. As you travel, you see new things and gain valuable experiences. As a result, you can easily find something about yourself that directly affects your career. Let’s go back to the example of teaching from earlier; you may have had no aspirations of teaching before your gap year. But, the opportunity arose which led to some volunteering, and now you want to pursue it as a career. So many things can happen while you’re away that lead you down a brand new career path with potentially way more opportunities than you had before. As such, this can be good for your career.

It could be harder to find jobs when you’re back from your travels.

Con: You Get Held Back

In a career sense, going on a gap year is almost like being held back a year at school. You’re behind everyone else, which means you’re in a worse position to find the job you want. Think of it this way; imagine you and someone else are both on the same career path. Then, you go away for a year, while they continue to work. They’ve now got an extra year of experience in this line of work, along with all the skills they’ve developed too. So, if you come back and start looking for work, it’s harder to get the roles you want as there are loads of people like this who are in better positions than you. Often, this means you have to start back at square one with an entry-level job or something part-time. Yes, you’ll still have the experience you had before you leg, but employers care a lot about recent experience. They’d rather hire someone with a recent experience working in their industry than someone who’s taken a year out and may need extra time to get back up to speed.

Will a gap year hold you back? Will it help advance your career? The answer to either question is simply; maybe. It all depends on how you use your gap year. If you see it as just an excuse to travel and have a 12-month holiday, then it will hold you back. But, if you use it as a way to gain new experiences and continue to develop your skills through volunteering and part-time work, then it can benefit you.