Why Gap Years?

Sample Answer 1:
Sir, I took a gap to recover from a severe health issue. I had been diagonosed with xyz
and was advised bed rest for a couple of months. After weighing all options, I thought it
is in my best interest to take care of my health and prepare for MBA exams once I’m
better and that’s exactly what I did. I utilised my time exercising daily, learning about my
condition and ensuring I bounce back stronger.

Sample Answer 2:
Sir, I took a gap to understand my interests better. I wasn’t enjoying my job in the IT
sector and wanted to learn more about marketing. After having tried that alongside my
job, I thought it is in my best interest to invest some time learning more about it before I
decide to do an MBA. I utilised my time pursuing courses in marketing, networking with
marketers and also preparing for the MBA exams side-by-side. I’m certain that the time I
invested in it has solidified my understanding and inclination towards marketinga and all
the learning will help pave a marketing career for me post-MBA.

Sample Answer 3:
Sir, I took a gap to prepare well for the MBA exams. I could’ve done it alongside a job as
well but I needed time to figure for self-reflection to find my interests and I didn’t want to
underperform in a job I didn’t like. After weighing all the options, I decided to explore
what different functions and roles entail, saw many videos, did courses, internships,
connected with alumni of prestigious colleges and companies and finally understood my
inclination towards finance. I am happy with my choice because it allowed me to
prepare well for MBA exams and to also approach the decision with a confident and
clear state of mind.

Guidelines:

1. Reason First: Don’t make them wait for the answer, share the reason first
(yellow) and give the explanation/story later. Make sure the answer is honest -
they catch bluff very easily.

2. Thought Process: Walk them through your thought process while taking this
decision because that’s exactly what they’re looking for. Your answer doesn’t
matter as much as your criteria behind deciding on the same. So, always share
what other options you had and why you chose this (green).
3. Utilisation of Time: Tell them what you did during the gap in order to justify that
you made use of it. Make sure your points align with your reason (blue). E.g.
someone who faced health issues would not be expected to do internships,
instead, would be expected to take care of his/her health.

4. Conclusion: Make sure to share that your gap has resulted into a positive
outcome, could be more clarity of your future, cracking the MBA exams or
recovering from the health issue (orange).

5. It’s OKAY: Remember that taking a gap isn’t a bad thing - in fact, it is highly
encouraged than going for the wrong option. You can always give an analogy: If
you’re sitting on a platform waiting for the right train to come, it shouldn’t matter if
people around you have gotten on other trains, you would want to wait for the
right one rather than being seated in the wrong one. There’s nothing wrong with
taking out time to figure out stuff. Many B-school graduates take a break before
switching jobs, choosing to pursue entrepreneurship, restarting their careers.

6. Stay Confident: If you’ve reached the interview stage, you’re smart enough to
be there, so stay confident and just walk them through how you decided to take
the gap. No one cares about gap years in the B-school, my batchmates had 3-4
years of gaps. No one sits idle during a gap - you must have done something,
just walk them through it and you’ll be fine.