Should you travel or work after graduating?

TRAVEL: 

Image: Ana Clara Paniago

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]oon enough, some of you will be walking out of this university with a degree, but maybe not a career. And that’s okay. The year after university is an excellent time to take a step back, relax, and of course, travel the world.

Think about it; the transition between the bubble that is Warwick University and the ‘real world’ is a larger gap than you have ever had to encounter before. It is only natural to feel scared and uncertain about the future – which is why taking a year out now would be the perfect opportunity.

This is essentially Gap Year 2.0, with an improved and more mature version of yourself. This time around, you can focus on what you can do to re-enter the job market in a year’s time. It’s always possible to find relevant experiences to complement your degree. For example, budding journalists can write for local magazines, law graduates may be able to work with human rights and students from WBS can take internships abroad.

the transition between the bubble that is Warwick University and the ‘real world’ is a larger gap than you have ever had to encounter before

Even if you do not want to take a full year out, travelling by yourself during the summer is a sure-fire way to improve your CV. Of course, many students will be looking to work on their year out. It will definitely be easier for you to get a small job in a new country following university, than it ever was as an 18 year old fresh out of sixth form. And if you can’t work, volunteer! There are many programs that may be able to fund your year abroad, such as teaching English as a foreign language. Many graduates opt for studying a TEFL course, a qualification that can be studied across the UK. It enables you to teach English as a foreign language across the world, demonstrating fantastic communication skills – a valuable asset to any CV.

Other options include becoming a free tour guide that operates only on tips; companies such as Sandeman’s New Europe work in this fashion. Most importantly, you get to see the world, so don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity. After more than three years of hard work, you deserve it.

Ana Clara Paniago

WORK: 

Image: edar/ Pixabay

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n an ideal world I would love to go travelling after uni. The idea of leaving the world of stress and exams, packing my bags and shirking all responsibility sounds great.

Unfortunately though, you have to be realistic about these things, and life just isn’t that ideal. Admittedly, going travelling after uni does seem like the perfect time to go. With few commitments and the possibility of a graduate job seeming ever further out of reach, you’re pretty much free to do anything you want! The only obstacle really is money, and unfortunately it is quite a big one.

The better option seems to be to wait until you’re a bit older, with (hopefully) a bit more money, and more life experience before you go travelling. By this point you’ll probably be bored of your job anyway, and be desperate to escape the real world and relive the glory days of your youth. By then, you’ll be experienced enough to avoid the usual horror stories associated with student travel.

Everyone talks about going travelling and making the most of it ‘while you’re young’ to such an extent that the pressure to do so can get a bit overwhelming. I personally think that the stereotype that you somehow ‘find yourself ’ when you go travelling is actually ridiculous, and simply a way of justifying hiding from reality.

you’ll probably be bored of your job anyway, and be desperate to escape the real world and relive the glory days of your youth

Also, as fun as taking a post-uni gap year sounds, it also feels like a way of delaying entering the real world for yet another year and I can’t help thinking this will only make matters worse in the long run. None of us really want to enter the world of adult responsibility, but it can’t be avoided forever!

Furthermore, if you’re not managing to gain valuable work experience along the way, you’re running the risk of having to explain to an employer why you decided a gap year was a good idea. I realise this is starting to sound rather cynical, but it’s the unfortunate truth. Going travelling after uni may seem like a great idea, but the truth is that it’s far from logical. It’s far better to just face up to reality and the world of work now. I mean, how bad can it be?

Nicola Paling