UCB MFE Is gap year bad?

jamesthu · 5/20/13

Hello guys,
I just got an admission from UCB mfe program. And the 2014 class starts in March 2014.

I have a full time job right know. Since I've been out of school for a while, I need to take some online courses to refresh the quant related knowledge. And I'd like to spend a month travelling. I'm thinking about having 6-8 months gap. Is that very bad for my future career?

MRoss · 5/20/13

No.

Having a 3-5 year gap might be hard to justify, but having a "gap" of less than one year between job and school is perfectly normal. Very few people have seamless resumes.

You might also want to document the online courses that you are taking if they are relevant. That would make the gap even smaller.

daleholborow · 5/20/13

Weighing on on the travel thing, travel long, travel far, travel hard. And talk to strangers on the way.

Canuck · 5/21/13

Have you thought of going abroad and doing some volunteer work? It would look good on the resume ,you would get a tan and you would be helping people.

http://www.volunteerbasecamp.com/

jamesthu · 5/22/13

Michael Summerville said:
Have you thought of going abroad and doing some volunteer work? It would look good on the resume ,you would get a tan and you would be helping people.

http://www.volunteerbasecamp.com/

I think this is a very good idea. Thank you. I will look through the website

Canuck · 5/22/13

jamesthu said:
I think this is a very good idea. Thank you. I will look through the website

If you're american there's the peace corp, that would be the optimal choice.

jamesthu · 5/22/13

Michael Summerville said:
If you're american there's the peace corp, that would be the optimal choice.

No, I am a Chinese. Why is this kind of volunteer work looks good on resume?

Canuck · 5/22/13

Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, also it just shows that you're a nice human being

.

jamesthu · 6/7/13

Is volunteer base camp safe? I found out that their centers are all located in very undeveloped countries.

Michael Summerville said:
Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, also it just shows that you're a nice human being .

Canuck · 6/7/13

jamesthu said:
Is volunteer base camp safe? I found out that their centers are all located in very undeveloped countries.

such as?

jamesthu · 6/16/13

Michael Summerville said:
such as?

such as Tanzania. Which choice do you think is more useful? Keeping my current job which I can't learn very much or quiting my job spending some time taking classes in order to better prepare myself for the MFE program, traveling or volunteering?

Canuck · 6/19/13

jamesthu said:
such as Tanzania. Which choice do you think is more useful? Keeping my current job which I can't learn very much or quiting my job spending some time taking classes in order to better prepare myself for the MFE program, traveling or volunteering?

I mean if you feel that the job is completely useless then I think you should do something else.
Learn a foreign language (Russian or Mandarin would be useful), go off and volunteer in the more stable parts of Africa (South Africa, Botswana), the options are endless.

shivgan joshi · 6/19/13

I think the problem with gap is that though you studied for CFA and people have no probems with that, but sometimes people think u brought n, as we do things not only for money but to also increase the gdp of the nation... if all people takes 1 yer off for cfa the country would runshort of workers / expensive workers...