Gap years in the UK: Working

If you are looking to develop knowledge or experience of a particular work type or sector, it is worth considering a work placement for up to a year as part of your degree studies.

Some degree courses are designed for students to take time out during their studies, and universities provide varying levels of support for sourcing suitable placements, from simple advertising to a full placement service.

If a placement is not an integral part of your course, it is also possible at most universities to negotiate time out, although you will need to pursue this individually and there is less likely to be support in sourcing placements.

Types of company

A large number of companies and organisations in a variety of sectors advertise industrial placements. Check company websites to find out if they offer work placements. There are also organisations that may help you in your search for placements. An example is Year in Industry, which specialises in work placements in areas such as engineering, science, IT and computing, and business.

On placements such as these, you will earn a reasonable salary, and a placement may also result in sponsorship from the employing company for the remainder of your studies. Before taking on these offers, you need to check on how long you will be required to work for the company after your graduation and whether any penalties will be imposed if you fail to meet this condition.

What can I gain from a work placement?

The potential benefits of using time out for a work placement are:

• increasing your focus and motivation when you return to your studies;
• a chance to earn some money to relieve the financial strain often involved in being a student;
• gaining relevant skills and experience, which will increase your employment chances on graduation;
• insight into your career aims, which can help you focus and enhance your future applications for work experience and graduate positions later on;
• being able to provide potential employers with some evidence that you are serious about your career;
• some solid, relevant experience to talk about at interview.

What’s the catch?

Possible drawbacks may include:

• difficulty in getting back into the way of studying;
• the impact of returning to study with a different student cohort if former colleagues have moved on;
• difficulty in returning to a student budget after earning a salary;
• the temptation not to return to complete your degree.

Work experience and internships

A range of internships are available for graduates and opportunities can be found in most work types and sectors. Internships are most commonly available in not-for-profit organisations, voluntary bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and in some parts of the public sector.

Typically, employers will expect you to commit to a period of time from four weeks to a year and they will expect you to work specific hours every week.

Internships are possible in areas such as research, lobbying and PR and may in fact be the only way for an inexperienced graduate to gain the experience and contacts required to get a paid job in these areas.

How do I afford it?

Internships are largely unpaid, although minimal travel and other expenses may be covered, so it is important to consider how you will support yourself financially.

You can cut costs by living with friends or family during the period of the internship, but this will limit the areas of the country where you can look for openings.

Another alternative is to consider working part time to support yourself, perhaps in a job where you can work outside of office hours, for example, in the hospitality and catering sectors.

To find out more about internships visit Internship Help.

Paid work in the UK

You might choose to do paid work in the UK for some or all of your gap year for several reasons, such as:

• to earn the money you need to spend some time travelling;
• to gain an insight into various employment sectors or types of job;
• to earn money to pay for something specific that you need, or to save towards completing your studies.

Work to finance your travels

Work out how much money you need and the time you have available before you consider how to raise the cash. You can work out factors such as the minimum hourly rate you need to earn in order to meet your needs.

Options for work to raise money include:

• part-time job whilst at university, or working extra hours after graduation for a short time;
• work on short-term assignments through employment agencies;
• ad hoc work in areas ranging from promotions and market research to traffic surveys and mystery shopping.

Work to gain skills or expertise

Several organisations and agencies exist to help graduates gain experience in paid positions ranging from projects, often in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to more permanent positions. The services such agencies offer range from advertising vacancies and giving advice through to conducting initial interviews and putting you forward for further selection with the company.

Your choice of which companies to contact will depend on the region where you want to find work. They include:

• Graduates for Growth in Scotland,
• Hot Prospects - East Midlands Graduate Recruitment
• GradSouthWest
• StudentForce for Sustainability

What about employment agencies?

Employment agencies are another source of shorter-term work opportunities, which may give you the chance to experience working in various types of jobs and organisations. This is also a means of establishing a network of contacts, and if you impress an employer with your work when you are placed in a temporary job through an agency, it can lead to offers of other work with the same organisation.

You will need a certain level of skill or experience for some of the types of work employment agencies typically offer, depending on your area of interest. Remember that the value of agency work to you might not be in the actual jobs they place you in, but the organisations and people they expose you to. Even if you are not having success in getting work through an agency, it is worth staying in touch with them to indicate your commitment and continued availability.

To search for recruitment agencies who recruit for specific employment sectors in various regions of the UK, visit the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

Work with accommodation

If you are interested in gaining skills whilst living in an area of natural beauty, it is worth exploring options in environmental teaching or activity centres. You can gain skills by teaching in areas ranging from conservation to climbing in return for accommodation, a salary and training.

Openings may be available with organisations such as:

• the Field Studies Council (FSC), an education charity with 17 centres across the UK;
• PGL hires graduates in environmental and related disciplines as field studies instructors and do not always require teaching experience.