gap year in israel

By Abi R.

When thinking about a perfect gap year program, what comes to mind first? Is it the traveling, the friends made, a taste of independence? Though all may become included in a gap year program along with a dozen more experiences, what might not come to mind first is internships or work opportunities. However, as people still decide what they want their life to be after their gap year, an internship is the ideal way to take the first steps into academic or career success.

Though the idea of an internship or being an intern may seem dull or scary, with patience, time and perseverance everyone can find an internship that is a perfect match of learning, interest, and hands-on experience. Ranging from art to politics to medicine to technology. Hundreds of companies are always looking out for young and eager interns looking to join the workforce in the near future. What an intern can do ranges on the internship, however, it usually involves a variation of hands-on learning. I first interned in a low tech company at the beginning of my gap year, in that time I learned what running social media channels can look like. From finding or creating videos and images, to uploading them, tagging them, and then scheduling them to post for the next year.

That internship not only set me up for success in a workplace environment and office job, it also taught me surface level social media work, how to quickly and effectively create posts in order to get people to tap on a video or like an image. As a future college student, workplace experiences such as this are a massive support for my future career and finding new internships in the future. Having basic office work experience will make my resumes shine compared to similar-aged competitors who may not have taken a gap year to intern.

Interning also isn’t just to learn the basics of a workplace or a job, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to meet people and become even more prepared for the future. Co-workers, managers, and supervisors aren’t just there to create a smooth transition into the workplace and give you tasks to work on, they are also super helpful in the future. If successful in your internship you can even ask to put one of your supervisors or your internship coordinator in the office as a reference in the future, which is helpful when new internships and workplaces are looking into hiring you. The right reference can support your academic and career journey for years to come, long past your gap year experience. Interning during a gap year creates a once in a lifetime experience as well as paves the way for future successes.

 

Gap year in israel - aardvarkisrael