[Youth Report] "Office Workers Also Need Vacations"... MZ Generation Taking 'Life Gap Period'

The Growing 'Gap Year' Culture for Self-Discovery
Efforts to Design Life Proactively

Yang Eun-ji (27), a third-year office worker, recently submitted her resignation to the company she had been working for. After graduating from university, Yang immediately entered the job market and was accepted at her desired workplace, but she decided to quit due to the intense workload and repeated overtime. Having worked in the marketing department, she said, "I think the work I'm doing now doesn't suit my aptitude," and added, "Because of the employment crisis, I considered a 'transfer job change' to a similar role, but I thought it was not right to recklessly change jobs without knowing what I really want to do." She continued, "During my break, I plan to find out what I like and what I am good at."

[Image source=Getty Images]

Recently, among young people, the culture of taking a 'gap year' to pause studies or work and find oneself has become popular. Originally, the gap year is a culture that started abroad, referring to a period after high school graduation when students do not immediately enter university but take time off to gain various experiences. In Korea, not only university students but also office workers are choosing to take a break and are making efforts to proactively design their own lives.

Western countries explore career paths through gap years... Korea focuses on building credentials

Office worker. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

The gap year is already an active culture in Western countries. Major universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States encourage students to defer admission. This is to give students who are 'burned out' after high school exam preparation a chance to recharge and gain diverse life experiences. Notably, in 2016, Malia Obama, the eldest daughter of former U.S. President Barack Obama, who was admitted to Harvard, announced she would postpone her enrollment for a gap year, which drew significant attention. This event helped spread the gap year culture in the U.S. Additionally, actress Emma Watson and Britain's Prince Harry also took gap years.

In Korea, many students also decide to take a leave of absence after entering university for a short break. However, unlike in Western countries, in Korea, students often take leave to build their credentials through language study abroad, internships, and obtaining certifications.

In fact, a survey conducted by JobKorea and Albamon in August last year targeting 1,170 male and female university students about their 'leave of absence plans' showed that 63.3% of respondents planned to take a leave of absence. The most common reason for taking leave was 'to participate in internships and obtain certifications related to employment,' with a response rate of 48.9%. This was followed by ▲'to contemplate and prepare for career paths' (26.0%) and ▲'to delay graduation' (21.2%).

However, there are concerns that rushing toward 'employment' without sufficient time for career exploration can lead to burnout. Kim (29), an office worker, said, "When I graduated from university, I was in such a hurry to get a job that I blindly took a university-linked internship. After successfully converting to a full-time position, I have been working at the same company, but I don't even know if the work suits my aptitude." He added, "In Korea, many people still do not understand the idea of 'taking a break to explore career paths.' Shouldn't knowing oneself first be the key to a happy life?"

"A gap year can help regain vitality in daily life"

[Image source=Pixabay]

Given this situation, voices are emerging that a gap year is necessary not only for university students but also for office workers. It is suggested that office workers exhausted by heavy workloads should submit resignation or leave requests and take a break for several months to about a year, using the time for self-development and recharging.

On the 11th (local time), the Associated Press (AP) also reported on the importance of the 'adult gap year.' AP stated, "A short sabbatical or 'adult gap year' can help people step away from daily life and regain vitality." It added, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature of work has changed, leading more people to question whether they need to work as they used to. People are looking for ways to spend longer and more diverse periods away from their routines."

Office worker Park (28) also said, "I plan to resign soon and live in Jeju Island for a month," adding, "I wanted to explore the direction of how I want to live in the future."

[Image source=Getty Images]

In fact, recent survey results show a preference for 'gap year job changes.' Career platform JobKorea recently surveyed 853 male and female office workers and found that 68.7%, or about 7 out of 10, preferred 'transfer job changes' where they prepare to change jobs while still employed, while the remaining 31.3% preferred 'gap year job changes,' where they take a break before job hunting again.

Among those who preferred 'gap year job changes,' the most common reason was "I want to take sufficient rest before moving to a new job" (53.2%), and the average appropriate rest period was four months.

Meanwhile, in the book "We Can Still Become Anything," which deals with gap years, author Kim Jin-young said, "There seem to be things you cannot see when you are running, when you are on the track. Only by stepping away from work a little can you understand yourself, your working style, and what you truly like and are good at in your work."