Posted 27 Jul 2009

A survey has found that 90 per cent of employers will place a heavy focus on the extracurricular activities of jobs candidates this year – so, having a gap year under your belt could make you stand out from competitors at interviews.

The poll, conducted by youth and education charity Raleigh, found that 80 per cent of employers most want to see that a candidate has spent their gap year honing their skills and experience – something that may be achieved by volunteering abroad.

Chief executive of the firm Stacey Adams commented: "In this job market, evidence of soft skills and the ability to show how you can add value to an organisation are going to be more important than ever."

There are also a whole raft of other reasons why taking a gap year or volunteering abroad may be a good idea, freelance travel writer Helen Ochyra wrote in the Guardian last week.

One of these is that working among local families and volunteering abroad allows candidates to really "get under a country’s skin", rather than skim the surface with a short holiday.

Category: General Travel