Graduating in 3 months... Should I take a year off and travel or try to get a job?

[username79]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

stupid view, extremly stupid view. the US is 2% of the world. currently the single most important market. but there are 20-30 markets that are growing much more rapidly than the US, and many markets that are developing the ability to produce better than the US. in our lifetimes, the importance of the US is going to change, dramatically. for somebody coming out of school now, that is a majoir stratigic issue.
Then work for a company that pays you to travel. This is simple. Why give up 75-100K/yr. in income and decrease your chances of getting a job (as I said before, I believe it is far easier to get a job while still in college/university using the school's resources) when you can make that amount and still travel, on an increased budget? I think it's bullshit to suggest that someone backpacking or drinking at different bars around the world is somehow going to have a majoir stratigic [sic] increase in someone's worldview, which is what I see the majority of year-taker-offers doing with their time. One person I know decided that after her parents spent 140K on her education that she really enjoyed being a hobo in Europe, so she moved to LA and decided to live on the strip with the homeless people -- while her parents pay for her cell phone and she calls all her friends trying to get them to convert to "organic sustainable vegan farming." I have a dim view of this because of my personal experience with others. The experiences you gave as examples, however, sound fantastic.

 

[Chouse]

I'd say try to get a job! While bumming the world may be a fun experience and you might not get the chance again later on in life it WILL leave a gap in your CV. I can't speak for the US job market but travelling to "see the world" for a year will generally not be regarded as a substitute for international experience in a professional sense (i.e. studying/working abroad).

If you have the time and money why not learn another language that might be useful in your career? You can spend a couple of weeks/month in the respective countries during your studies.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by username79

Then work for a company that pays you to travel. This is simple. Why give up 75-100K/yr. in income and decrease your chances of getting a job (as I said before, I believe it is far easier to get a job while still in college/university using the school's resources) when you can make that amount and still travel, on an increased budget?

I think it's bullshit to suggest that someone backpacking or drinking at different bars around the world is somehow going to have a majoir stratigic [sic] increase in someone's worldview, which is what I see the majority of year-taker-offers doing with their time. One person I know decided that after her parents spent 140K on her education that she really enjoyed being a hobo in Europe, so she moved to LA and decided to live on the strip with the homeless people -- while her parents pay for her cell phone and she calls all her friends trying to get them to convert to "organic sustainable vegan farming."

I have a dim view of this because of my personal experience with others. The experiences you gave as examples, however, sound fantastic.

fair enough, I honestly don't understand why anybody would want to hire an american graduate today. a person can waste his time in the states of traveling, so if the OP is going to waste his time while traveling it doens't help him. I dind't learn anything in universty, pretty much. I learned what I know and what I make a living from by putting myself in intersting places and taking advantage of what happened. I know others who have done something similar. my kid's baby sitter graduated with good grades from a good school, and she is babysitting. the people who make my coffee and sell me newspapers, ditto. so I am not sure what jobs are out there for unexperienced undregrads today.

 

[Milhouse]

Originally Posted by username79

Then work for a company that pays you to travel. This is simple. Why give up 75-100K/yr. in income and decrease your chances of getting a job (as I said before, I believe it is far easier to get a job while still in college/university using the school's resources) when you can make that amount and still travel, on an increased budget?


What job out there, right now, will hire an MBA for 75-100k per year and pay them to travel? I'm really curious about this, because this sounds pretty darn good to me.

 

[Bradford]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

What job out there, right now, will hire an MBA for 75-100k per year and pay them to travel? I'm really curious about this, because this sounds pretty darn good to me.
+1 - I want that job as well! The OP is an undergrad Econ/Poly Sci major who'd likely only give up 30-40K of pre-tax income by taking a year off, assuming he can find a job immediately after graduation. I still say travel. And for those who wonder, I got out of undergrad 20-years ago this May.

 

[feynmix]

Originally Posted by username79

I have a dim view of this because of my personal experience with others. The experiences you gave as examples, however, sound fantastic.

So, you are stating your opinions due to the others you have seen around you. Just because you see them as a failure doesn't necessarily mean traveling the world is the wrong thing to do. I can give tens of example of friends and acquaintances that have traveled around the world, had amazing experiences, and still were successful folks with good jobs and a career.

As I said earlier, traveling around the world doesn't mean drinking day and night, partying 5 days a week, and laying on the sandy beach everyday. It really is what you make of it, and in the case of the OP, with free airfare his possibilities are endless.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

take a couple months and enjoy yourself, i dont know about a year, but you can write off a couple months and no one will think you were doing anything beyond job hunting.

In todays environment finding a job is no walk in the park, and any perspective employer will buy that you spent 2 months job hunting (mean while you were enjoy yourself).

hell you could bring a laptop with you, and email perspective employers in a few hours of your spare time abroad.

 

[delayedReaction]

If you're interested in international relations/development, or a within a speciality like microfinance, travel is good because you can talk about the field with real experience instead of reading about it in some book/magazine.

Volunteer while you're in country, or teach English, secondary school econ/finance/math or whatever. It is all about how you plan and market it, and how it will help you either get into grad school, or, if you do your homework, the organization that you want to work for eventually. If you do end up wanting to do something financial, find a development organization and tell them that you want to help out in their field office while you're there. Even if you just go file papers and stuff envelopes, it's going to be a real experience to see how an office in the field actually works, especially since it'll be completely different than working in headquarters in the US or where ever.

If you want work on learning a language and/or perfecting an accent then that's a bonus too.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by Chouse

travelling to "see the world" for a year will generally not be regarded as a substitute for international experience in a professional sense (i.e. studying/working abroad).

In what world is studying abroad considered international experiance in a professional sense? A majority of the people I know who spent a quarter/semester abroad (even in rigorous programs) pretty much drank and partied nonstop.

I would venture to guess that they did more drinking and partying than a post-college traveler since housing was taken care of by the program and everything was probably paid by their parents. At least when you are traveling you have travel days and hotel costs to take your time and money.

 

[P. Bateman]

I'm definitely going to travel, although I think I'll scale the duration of my trip down a bit because a year is a long time as some have mentioned.

My roommate's mother is the chairman of an oprhanage and young microfinance program in Tanzania so if all works out my plan is to spend the first month out of school helping peolpe, applying and developing financial skills, and traveling in Tanzania at the microfinance program. After that maybe spend a few months backpacking in Asia and Europe with my buddy. In the meantime I'll keep looking for employment and hope I can lock something down before graduation rolls around.

 

[pauliodotnet]

Apply to jobs while you are finishing school, and if nothing comes through, travel. Do not go for a full year, maybe do a European and Asia tour for about 4 months, come back, a month of applying/interviewing again, and if nothing. Go back to school, and get your masters.

IMHO that is.

 

[Pennglock]

One option that I took advantage of- and no one has thrown out yet- your employer may allow you to defer your start date.

I did the on-campus recruiting thing and did not start my job until the winter after graduation. It was a good feeling, knowing you did not have to come home to a job hunt, and also knowing the fact that I was going to be a working stiff for an indeterminate amount of time was good motivation to blow off a good amount of steam.

Don't negotiate those terms until you have the offer in hand, though.

 

[delayedReaction]

Originally Posted by P. Bateman

I'm definitely going to travel, although I think I'll scale the duration of my trip down a bit because a year is a long time as some have mentioned.

My roommate's mother is the chairman of an oprhanage and young microfinance program in Tanzania so if all works out my plan is to spend the first month out of school helping peolpe, applying and developing financial skills, and traveling in Tanzania at the microfinance program. After that maybe spend a few months backpacking in Asia and Europe with my buddy. In the meantime I'll keep looking for employment and hope I can lock something down before graduation rolls around.

That sounds like a plan. Also, write a paper/keep a blog/etc on your experiences (not the backpacking part, though, the orphanage/microfinance) and submit it somewhere credible. Even if it's just a small 500 word column detailing your experiences in the field, obtain a couple of copies and either work it into your resume, or bring it along to an interview so you can pull it out if the conversation heads that way.

 

[chronoaug]

Wait, where can i find these 75-100k paying jobs?

 

[scarphe]

Originally Posted by chronoaug

Wait, where can i find these 75-100k paying jobs?

intnernatinal construction companies often have these types of jobs, so international regional sales managers. if the construction comany is large enough, they sens to varied locations, but in the dn one will probably be coervering a certain region. sae with ehs sales position. btu they are not as common as one the poster makes htem out to be.