Gap year : Staying in the UK

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1. Is a gap year right fo…
2. Working abroad
3. Travelling abroad
4. Volunteering abroad
5. Studying abroad
6. Staying in the UK
7. Planning your gap year
8. Travel information
9. Costs and funding
10. Selling your experienc…
11. Contacts and resources

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Working, volunteering or travelling in the UK has the same benefits as going abroad, but may be less exotic. It will probably cost less and can still give you a rewarding experience to draw on in the future. 

Working

Work experience and internships

• Internships for graduates are available in most work types and sectors. For general advice, visit Internship Help or Year in Industry.
• 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 largely unpaid, although minimal travel and other expenses may be covered, so you must consider how you will support yourself financially.
• If a placement is not an integral part of your course, you can often negotiate time out with your university, although you will need to make your own arrangements and there is less likely to be support in sourcing placements.

Paid work

For some or all of your gap year, you may wish to take a paid job in order to:

• fund time for travelling or volunteering;
• help you pay off your student debt;
• buy something you need;
• gain skills and experience of employment to enhance your CV.

The kinds of work you could try include short-term assignments including:

• product promotions;
• market research;
• traffic surveys;
• mystery shopping;
• teaching or supervision at outdoor activity centres, with accommodation usually provided – try the Field Studies Council (FSC) or PGL for openings;
• temping through an agency.

Employment agencies can be very useful for finding work because:

• they handle short-term work opportunities;
• you have the chance to experience working in various types of jobs and organisations;
• temping may lead to permanent job offers;
• doing a variety of jobs through an agency can help you build up a network of contacts for future job-hunting.
  A directory of recruitment agencies in specific employment sectors and regions of the UK is available from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

Travelling

Though the idea of a gap year may conjure up images of far flung destinations and exotic beaches, spending some time travelling within the UK is a good alternative for graduates looking to take some time out. Travelling close to home has some distinct advantages:

• You can combine it with periods of temporary work to raise funds and, without the expense of international flights to consider, your costs are more likely to be manageable.
• With a ready-made network of friends and family to call upon, you may find that accommodation along the way is easy to find.
• If mobility is likely to be helpful in your future career, gap-year travelling can introduce you to parts of the country where you may apply for work in the future.

For ideas and information on travelling in the UK go to VisitBritain .

Volunteering

Voluntary work at home has numerous benefits, just like volunteering abroad, but in addition it may:

• increase your sense of community;
• help you forge links that may be valuable for your future career;
• lead to the offer of a permanent job.

Make sure the charities you are interested in are formally registered by checking with The Charity Commission for England and Wales. You can also search their database under keywords, such as environment, disability, education, health or children, to get initial information about charities that work in areas that interest you.

Organisations that can link you to UK-based voluntary projects include:

• Volunteering England 
• Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
• Volunteering Wales
• Project Scotland
• Volunteer Now