Friday 28th November 2008
Job opportunities 'helped by gap year experience'

Getting relevant experience in your gap year could make the difference when applying for a job, a volunteering charity has claimed.

Finding focused work experience in a relevant sector such as the financial industry will help much more when applying for jobs in finance compared with going travelling for the year, according to Lattitude Global Volunteering.

Ben Clifton, spokesperson for Lattitude, said: "It very much depends on what you do. If you are just going to buy yourself a round the world ticket then you are not really adding anything to your CV."

Mr Clifton claims that employees are more likely to be impressed by applicants who spent their gap year learning the necessary skills for their future career.

"Be it teaching skills, leadership, that sort of thing that you can add onto your CV- then absolutely. It really can make you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs," he added.

According to gapyear.com, recruiters and university admissions departments are finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate between candidates.

Click here for job opportunities

CVs 'should include' mobile communication skills  08/01/2009 (09:21) Mobile communication skills are one area that most graduates are missing off their CVs, research has revealed. This could see many university leavers missing out on opportunities as 51 per cent of businesses value... more..

Graduates 'concerned' about job opportunities   08/01/2009 (09:18) Many graduates are worried about their prospects of finding suitable employment as they seek to enter the working... more..

Government announces apprenticeship scheme  08/01/2009 (09:17) The government has announced it is to fund 35,000 new apprenticeships as part of a new employment initiative. more..

Construction jobs - Tube stop redevelopment 'will create jobs'   07/01/2009 (09:36) People looking for construction jobs in the capital may be interested to know that work will start soon on the redevelopment of... more..

Job seekers 'lacking good CVs'  07/01/2009 (09:33) People who have recently been made redundant need to improve their CV skills in order to find employment, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Gerwyn Davies, public policy adviser... more..