Gap Year Advice and Information

How to have...a fulfilling gap year with no gaps in it

Every student worth their salt knows a gap year is the chance to take a break from endless study and concentrate the imagination on subjects of far more worldly interest than anything found within an exam paper.Every student worth their salt knows a gap year is the chance to take a break from endless study and concentrate the imagination on subjects of far more worldly interest than anything found within an exam paper.

What does exercise the mind though is how to plan this glorious year of freedom in a way that will not only meet your dreams of exotic travel but will put you streets ahead in your career, allow you to gain financial independence through university and most importantly stop your parents spontaneously combusting at the mention of the word ‘gap year’.

We, the lovely people at Deloitte, have come up with a cunning plan – the Deloitte Scholars Scheme. We will be offering some of the most talented students in the country the opportunity to complete a challenging seven month paid placement with us during their gap year, we will contribute £1,500 to their gap year travels and will then go on to support them with £1,000 a year at university as well as additional paid work placements in the holidays.

The bonus is that there are still places going for current Year 13 students who are ready to take the plunge in 2005, while applications for our 2006 places will open on 1 July 2005.

So, very nice I hear you say, but who are Deloitte? We are one of the world’s leading professional services firms who provide business and financial related advice to large corporate clients and wealthy individuals. As a scholar you would be fully trained up and expected to work alongside our graduates in one of our main service lines: audit, tax or consulting.

The plan is that our scholars get to their final year of university with a very good idea of where they want to begin their career (whether that be with Deloitte or not), around a year’s worth of amazing experience on their CV and at least £3,000 under their belts which will have significantly reduced their student debts.

If it all sounds too good to be true then perhaps you better hear from someone who’s lucky enough to be doing it right now. Katie Charing, 19, will be finishing her gap year placement in our audit department in London in the next month before spending her £1,500 in Hawaii, Malaysia, Australia, Fiji and USA!

“It all began waaaay back in Sixth Form… There’s me - an animated, intelligent and ambitious little Year 13 student wondering what she was going to do with her life. These thoughts were not just, ‘Which university do I want to go to?’ and ‘Which course do I want to study?’, but also the more worrying and distant -  ‘What do I want to do in the future?’.

A year on, and oooh – this is me, a high flying business woman! Not only am I working for one of the world’s largest professional services firms, but I’ve still got five months backpacking AND the whole of university to look forward to!

The Scheme was offering just what I wanted: work in the city, a chance to experience all areas of a professional services firm and financial support throughout my time at university. I’ve had the opportunity to see exactly what it would be like to join as a graduate, and have had the opportunity to learn from hugely successful people who’ve worked for the firm for years.

Taking a year out has really changed everything. In Year 13 I was applying to read Maths at university, a decision I hadn’t thought realistically about. Accepting the place at Deloitte meant that I had a chance to re-evaluate my choice, and I realised that it wasn’t the subject for me. I’m now blissfully happy at the prospect of starting at Oxford this Autumn, reading a subject I’m genuinely passionate about – English.

So there it is – how the Scholars Scheme has changed my life. I’ve met so many people I would never have known and made some amazing friends. It’s also equipped me with skills that will be indispensable at university and in my later career. The way I feel about my future now? – Bring it on!”

So there you go, a very quick overview of the best start to a career known to mankind. If you fancy a fabulous, cash-enhanced gap year and the rest, and you’ve got it within you to impress Deloitte, the Scholars Scheme is a no-brainer.

You know what to do next: www.deloitte.co.uk/scholars/getsmart