Turning Your Gap Year Into a “Stand Out” Resume

In anticipation of our LifeApp, we wanted to give you a little taste about how a gap year can enhance your resume!  This week in our blog we cover how you can create a stand out resume & why a gap year can help.

Would you like to attend our workshop or have someone in mind that might benefit from this workshop (specifically young adults) please email us at home at mygapyear.dot ca.


In today’s world landing a job has become more difficult and more competitive than ever.  This is especially true for the new graduate. While formal education is still very much the standard requirement for most jobs, chances are it won’t be your university degree that gets you in the door.  Even graduating with straight A’s, is just not enough anymore.  So how do you land that dream job and set yourself apart from the other candidates?  Career transition experts say that skills such as self awareness, emotional intelligence, possessing the right attitude, and often practical experience is what will give a potential candidate the leading edge.

A structured gap year will give you real life experience outside of the classroom that can be leveraged to differentiate you when it comes to a job search, and will help you develop those crucial skills that are needed to create the “wow” factor on your resume.  A gap year can help build leadership skills, broaden your perspective of other cultures, views and global awareness, develop organizational, problem solving, and time management skills, as well as increase your motivation and self reliance - all attributes and skills that are among the top listed qualities that employers want.

The trick then becomes conveying and articulating your gap year adventures to match what employers are looking for. Below are a few tips to consider when creating your resume.

• Label your gap year under the heading “Other Experience” and remember to include dates.  This is more effective than simply “hiding” it under work experience where it may appear a little flaky
  
• Choose to highlight tangible skills that you gained which are transferable and easily translate into diverse jobs
  
• Don’t include everything!! You most likely gained a bunch of new skills during your gap year that you consider important, but remember, a resume is only meant to pique the curiosity of the reader so include only the points that are most relevant to the specific job you are targeting 
  
• Make sure you include specific examples to demonstrate the skill you want to highlight. This will go a long way in adding credibility especially if you choose examples that are actionable
  
• Don’t forget about the cover letter.  The cover letter is a great place to introduce and highlight how your gap year experience makes you a unique candidate with added value for the organization.  

So if a gap year is something you are considering but are not sure if it’s right for you ask yourself how it might help set you on the right path for future career success?

We can partner with you through one on one coaching, planned travel and volunteer experience that will ensure your gap year will be successful in helping you clarify your career/ educational goals and interests, discover your passions and interests, and give you the practical experience you need to stand out from the crowd and look attractive to a future employer.