What to say on CV/at interview for job if I plan to return to uni after 1 year?

I'm planning on taking a year out after my 2nd year finishes this summer in order to gain work experience (not placements) and take a break from studies.

I want to ideally get a full-time entry level job so I can earn a decent amount of money for travelling after, but I'm only planning on working for just under a year as I'd return to uni after that. Should I mention this when applying and if so, how would I do it? I don't want to get rejected for saying that but I also don't want to "burn any bridges" when I leave.

Would it be okay applying for any trainee positions seeing as they would expect me to continue for a few years after?

If it is a trainee position and tour CV shows year one at uni, then they will ask.

You dont have to tell them if its just a junior trainee, but imo I wouldnt go wasting their time saying i was staying when I was not.

If it was just a junior job then I might not even mention uni and apply as a normal job.

So I shouldn't mention that I'm a student on my CV? How will I explain a 2 year gap after A levels then?

A trainee job is ok, but one that takes a lot of investment, then they will raise questions. You are going to have to work out what your answer is going to be. If you just get a job yo are qualified for then they might not care whether you stay or go. Most people would take a perm job and then just hand their notice in.

If you say I only want a temp job for a year, then that makes it easier to leave, but maybe there are fewer of those.

Apply for jobs and see how it pans out.

I think it's best to be as honest as you can. Have you a formal agreement to go back after a year out? If so I would say you will give the job your all for a year and then youre going back. There may well be situations where this suits. If your return is not yet formalised I think you can be more vague explaining that you want a break and good work experience and if probed that once you've learnt a lot in the world at work you will decide what the next step for your career is.

I see, I guess I should look for other types of non-trainee jobs too.



I don't have a formal agreement yet as I'm still not 100% sure I want to take a year out. Regarding your last sentence, I think being vague about my future plans seems like a good idea. I think I'll do that.

Just go for the jobs and see what you get offered.
If you have uni on your cv, then be prepared to answer questions about why you are interrupting studies and when you intend to return. Some contracts are fixed term so they wont care.

Okay, thanks for the advice. One more question if you don't mind, what do I call myself in my personal statement? A student? Or a school leaver? Or former university student?

I'm planning on taking a year out after my 2nd year finishes this summer in order to gain work experience (not placements) and take a break from studies.

I want to ideally get a full-time entry level job so I can earn a decent amount of money for travelling after, but I'm only planning on working for just under a year as I'd return to uni after that. Should I mention this when applying and if so, how would I do it? I don't want to get rejected for saying that but I also don't want to "burn any bridges" when I leave.

Would it be okay applying for any trainee positions seeing as they would expect me to continue for a few years after?

@Doonesbury may be kind enough to give you a shorter answer.....

Depends

A student? Would you still consider yourself a student?
Or a school leaver? If that is the impression you want to give.
Or former university student?Which suggests you will state uni and that you left permanently.

Not sure you have to say anything at all. Sometimes you can describe yourself by your skills or last qualifications.

Doonesbury is online as well as princepieman so you can ask them how they would present it. Mt only points are decide, dont lie and look at it from the employers point of view plus be prepared to answer questions.

If you present yourself as a student mid uni then they may want to know why and how long you will be around. Some jobs they wont care and others they will. That is just common sense. Just plan ahead so you dont create problems for yourself.

@Doonesbury may be kind enough to give you a shorter answer.....

OP, you are a student because you are planning to return to university. You are looking for an entry-level role, it's not a issue and is a straightforward and honest statement of your situation.

And it's not uncommon for a "year in industry" employer to offer you a full-time role for when you graduate if you've done well with them.

Thanks to both of you! I think I'll go ahead and be honest about my plans and say I'm a student then.

I'm planning on taking a year out after my 2nd year finishes this summer in order to gain work experience (not placements) and take a break from studies.

I want to ideally get a full-time entry level job so I can earn a decent amount of money for travelling after, but I'm only planning on working for just under a year as I'd return to uni after that. Should I mention this when applying and if so, how would I do it? I don't want to get rejected for saying that but I also don't want to "burn any bridges" when I leave.

Would it be okay applying for any trainee positions seeing as they would expect me to continue for a few years after?

Okay, thanks for the advice. One more question if you don't mind, what do I call myself in my personal statement? A student? Or a school leaver? Or former university student?

Good plan.

Edit: don't define yourself as "a student". It's not important, unless you are specifically asked the question.

You should be looking for either one year schemes like YINI or fixed-term contracts. The point isn't that you want full time work, it's that you only want to work for a year. Apply for fixed term jobs then the whole return to University isn't an issue.

It doesn't make any sense for an employer to take you on a formal training course, if you are going back to Uni, as they have no legal mechanism for getting you to come back and give them a return on their investment.



The document that accompanies a CV or job application is a covering letter and you don't 'call yourself' anything in that format. You simply answer the implicit questions Why do you want to do this sort of work? Why do you want to work for this organisation? and Why would you be good at it?

Understood.



I'll look into fixed-term contracts too. What I meant by "personal statement" was the short paragraph at the top of my CV, not a cover letter.

You shouldn't have one of those. They are designed by folks like Connexions to make life easier for them. Employers completely ignore them (except they can be really funny sometimes) and all they do is waste valuable space in your CV. A CV is already a summary document and it doesn't need any further summary, just crack on with your education. When you have 5 or more years of professional experience in a single career path, then a few bullet points to lead off can indicate the role you play in a professional team, but before that, it's just a waste of space.