After completing the training, young people often choose not to immediately start working in their field in the Netherlands. By choosing to take a year off, your career can still be helped. This certainly applies if you choose to carry out work in your field there.
As soon as your studies are completed, you can immediately start looking for a job. Once a house is bought and a family is started, it is practically no longer possible to take a year off. This is also made difficult because it requires quitting a job. For example, by taking a gap year between two courses, you seize the opportunity while it is still available.
What is a gap year?
The literal meaning is a gap year. This is the period that students can use between two studies to discover where their interests lie. A gap year can also be taken after completion of studies, before the real career starts. It could involve a long journey, but also a work placement, for example. In addition to work experience, you can also gain life experience that you cannot gain in a familiar environment in the Netherlands. It seems like a wasted year, but it could bring benefits in the future. A work internship abroad also looks good on the CV.
How much does it cost to go abroad for a year?
The costs depend on your travel destination and the purpose of the trip. If you help out in projects, costs can be kept low. You can stay with host families, where you also eat daily. However, you also have to incur costs for airline tickets, insurance, transportation within the country itself, and other daily costs. On the website projects-abroad.nl, you can obtain further information about the costs if you participate in projects abroad. For three months you should assume 2,100 to 5,000.
Benefits for your career
By doing work placements abroad for a few months to a year, you show a certain level of commitment and flexibility. If you have also gained experience in your own field, you certainly have an advantage over other candidates in an application procedure. A doctor who first gains experience in a developing country shows that he or she is committed. On the other hand, experience has also been gained in the basics of medical care. These types of experiences can often be useful in the rest of your career.
Taking a sabbatical later in life
If you are already active in business, it is less easy to take a break for a few months to a year. Firstly, high fixed costs have often already been incurred, which makes it more expensive. Secondly, it is not always possible to get a few months to a year off. The advantage is that you can reserve part of the salary in advance to carry out your project.