What does 'taking time out' mean?

Alongside securing a graduate job or applying for a masters, taking time out is a popular answer for the inevitable question: what are you going to do when you graduate? 

It's an interesting answer and one that means different things to different people. For example, it could mean recuperating at home for a while with family and friends after your finals and graduation or it could mean buying a round-the-world airline ticket and heading off to new horizons.

What does it mean to you?

• Finding a job – this could be a temporary or part-time job to earn some money in the short term while also building your skills
• Volunteering – this can be a good way to gain experience and create structure during time out
• Travelling –  exploring new places and meeting new people
• Learning new skills by embarking on a short course
• Completing an internship - gaining work experience in the UK or overseas

Questions to get your started

To help you start to visualise your time out, give some thought to the following questions.

• How much time out do you want to take? Is it a couple of months or a whole year?
• What do you need to organise to take some time out? Visa? Accommodation options? Finance?
• What do you want to achieve through taking time out? Build your skills? Try out different career areas? Relax before progressing with your career plans?

If you have a longer term plan, for example, to study for a masters or apply for a graduate scheme, knowing the deadlines will be helpful when planning your time out. 

I’ve visited endless beautiful places, met so many people and become friends with people from all over the world. Most importantly, I feel like it’s been a real chance to have a mental reset.

I also think the experience has made me more confident as it has become very normal to start conversations with strangers on the bus.