Had Shakespeare been a student today, he would surely say, "To take a gap or not, that is the question!" An experiment opted by a few has now become a new trend. Taking a gap year before the rigmarole of life unfolds is not unheard of now. This, however, does seem to upset parents who begin to wonder – will my child pick up where they left off academically, would a gap year look bad on their resume? Or they may think this is a waste of time. But young adults want to explore their career options, narrow down programmes, take up jobs or internships to gain industry experience or just kick back with some travel time. We talked to some who took a year off for varied motivations.
Soaring free
What happens when you walk out of an interview saying, "Sir, I'm not cut out for this. Thank you"? You pursue your passion and recharge for the upcoming work years. At least that's what Rohan Kamath did. After his BE in Computer Engineering, he realised, "for the next 35 years of my life I would be running a marathon and so I wanted to make the most of this opportunity." Enticed, Rohan took the year off for bird watching and travelling. "It helped me recharge. After 15 years of slogging as a student, I finally had a break."
Most importantly, he says, "Taking a year off gave me a chance to put things into perspective. It will always be the best decision I ever made; because without it I wouldn't have a career, merely a job," Kamath concludes.
After his gap year, he went on to pursue his MS in Computer Science from Stanford University, specialising in Artificial Intelligence, then worked with Amazon and is now with Microsoft as a Program Manager.
Some 'me' time
Graduating with a Bachelors in Economics, K Karthikraja skipped taking a job through campus placements and decided on a year off to come back to his hometown, Ahmedabad. "I had given the Common Admission Test (CAT) the previous year, but I wished to improve my score and get into a top management institute. Since the test happens around November-December, it made sense to take the year off and prepare for it. I also caught up with reading, spent time with my friends and family and ended up taking a vacation." After giving the CAT for the second time, Karthik did not get admission in his desired institutes but instead landed a job with a market research company as an associate. He plans to gain more corporate experience, before stepping in for his post-graduation.
Spoilt for choice
While she always knew she wanted to work in the entertainment business, Varsha Kapoor didn't have a clear vision about the work profile. So with a Bachelors in Mass Media Kapoor stepped into her gap year with the intention of getting a taste of her desired fields and a clear vision for her future.
She interned in marketing, PR, brand management, celebrity agent and management before settling on a career in talent/artist management. "The variety helped prepare for my Masters' entrance," says Kapoor.
After finishing her advanced diploma in entertainment from MET college in Mumbai, she went on to work with Endemol production as a talent manager for three years and now works at Viacom18 as a senior executive in the commercial team.
