After grad travel: time off for good behavior?

 Dear Coach:


I’m thinking of taking a year off after graduation to do some traveling before I settle down to a job. I’ve worked hard and long in school and I’m feeling fried. Don’t you think it’s best to see the world while I’m young? Don’t you think I deserve it?

Happy Feet


Dear Happy:

Sure you deserve it and I’m a big time believer in people following their dreams. But I need to tell you about some opportunities you may be missing and some risks you’ll be taking if you decide to travel for a long time right after graduation. Then you decide.

First, the lost opportunities. If you want to work for the Federal government, some provincial governments or many large corporations you’ll be missing an opportunity that’s only available to new grads. Many of these large employers have jobs that are earmarked for entry on the first rung of their job ladders. That means they’ll invest in your training and you’ll be groomed to move up the ladder to more responsible positions. A year from now, you may not qualify for these entry level programs that could give your career a boost. You’ll be competing with all the other applicants that have been out on the market.

Second, the risks you’ll be taking. Even if you want to work for smaller companies that don’t have new grad entry programs, you risk being seen as not very interested in your career. I used to own a small communications company and would receive applications fairly often from first time job seekers who had dropped out for a couple of years to climb the Himalayas (or whatever). All things being equal, I would choose an applicant with some solid volunteer experience over the traveler, even if neither had ever worked. Why? As much as I might sympathize with the spirit of adventure, I want to invest my limited energy and time in someone who had already committed to their career.

It may still be worth it to you to have that travel experience, but these are the tradeoffs. You might want to compromise and take a shorter holiday, which would still allow you to be eligible for entry programs. You may also want to consider that your wanderlust might just be fear about looking for your first job. If that’s the case, it won’t be any easier a year from now.