i-to-i Gap Years become more popular as graduate options shrink

In the current financial climate many graduates are finding a dwindling number of career options open to them, but have found a new career path in the form of gap year travel. Companies such as i-to-i Meaningful Travel are becoming increasingly popular with recent graduates for both travel and volunteering options.

As if the weather outside wasn't grim enough the credit crunch is still an ever looming global issue. In the world of travel, however, the world wide lack of cash is proving to be a bit of a positive. And not just any kind of travel, gap years with companies such as i-to-i Meaningful Travel; have experienced a huge increase in popularity.

Taking a gap year or year out before further study has always been a worthwhile and popular travel option; great for skills development, great for personal development and great for your CV! Though a year in Honduras will still stand students in good stead for a place at their chosen university, an increasing number of graduates are finding the current economic climate calls for a break between the end of education and a career.

Diving head first into the job market waving a degree certificate unfortunately doesn't always produce the perfect job straight away. With budgets getting smaller, the list of desired attributes for prospective employees is getting longer and a year away can give students that 'special something' that other candidates may not have.

Many travel companies offer brilliant opportunities and discounts for those who are about to enter or have recently completed education. Companies such as i-to-i offer meaningful tours, which include a mixture of tourism and volunteering and purely volunteering focused projects all over the world, from working with orphans in South Africa to looking after Panda's in China!

Graduates can also get some real life work experience in archaeology, media and journalism, with internships around the world. Nothing makes a CV stand out quite like experience in the field, and working abroad shows that graduates can be adaptable and flexible as well as good at their jobs!

If a half empty piggy bank has been a hindrance to travel before, it certainly isn't now! With flight and tour prices getting lower all the time the cost of travelling is at a much more affordable rate for hard up students and graduates!

Gap years can give travelers a wealth of different experiences, especially if travel bends in the direction of voluntourism. Students and graduates alike can benefit greatly from both the chance for a bit of a breather and the chance to develop skills that will impress future employers. Working on a volunteering project overseas is the perfect way to develop improvisation, team work, communication, and leadership skills in a completely different environment.

Many graduates are recognizing that experience is an important string to their bow in the world of work, as well as a good use of time while the market recovers.

For more details see http://www.i-to-i.com/ , call 0800 011 1156 or contact Catherine Luff for media enquiries at catherine.luff@i-to-i.com