Some employers recommend a gap year before college
By Patrick Gillespie, CNN
Which is better for you: an internship at Goldman Sachs or navigating the chaotic streets of India?
Billionaire hedge fund manager Michael Novogratz believes travel will help you more. He’s tired of seeing the same types of resumes and argues that young people should take a gap year before they start their careers or college.
“We interview a lot of kids, and they always want an internship at Goldman Sachs (GS), an internship at McKinsey,” Novogratz, founder of Fortress Investment Group, said Sunday on the weekly show “Wall Street Week.”
His advice: “Go do something different. Get on a motorcycle and travel through India and take photographs. Create a story where you learn something…I’m a big fan of the gap year.”
Before starting on Wall Street, Novogratz served in the military as a helicopter pilot in Alabama. Novogratz, who is worth $1.5 billion, went to Princeton on an ROTC scholarship.
I agree that a gap year would help young people mature, either by expanding their knowledge with travel within their own country or across the oceans before they take the plunge into work and college. For some who have been sheltered at home, going away to college is biting off more than they can chew. A community college is a great first step. When applying for a job, the newly acquired background they have accrued from travel, and with a fresh perspective on the world around them, this can improve their chances in the work place.