Disclose you are on a gap year at interview?

[garnetruby]

DD is on a gap year and will start university in October 2023. She would love to get some admin experience and secured a couple of interviews for fab roles in office settings. The interviews go wonderfully well until she is asked 'what are your future plans?' and she says 'University in October', at which point the interviewers say 'oh. thanks for being honest. But we want someone who can be with us in the longer term'. Her friends who secured similar jobs say she should never be that direct in her reply and say something along the lines 'a career in admin'. DD feels this is deceptive. What are your thoughts? Do gap year applicants completely avoid permanent jobs? She currently works in a retail job she dislikes.

Well she either lies or does something else. If she doesn't have existing experience in admin roles she's unlikely to get much agency work as they need people they can drop in who can just get on with it.

Sign her up with a temping agency. She will get the office experience but they won't care that she's on a gap year.

Sorry pressed send too soon.

Very few employers are going to invest lots of time training someone staying 6 months.
Lots of people I knew did something they could transfer to new area- one had a really good thing going with John Lewis and they let them work between stores on a casual contract.

Why not just look for a contract or temp work? I agree that lying is not okay and frankly, not helpful to anyone. But there are loads of contract or temp admin roles out there she could do.

I used to do temping work during my university holidays and I have temped elsewhere. In my experience, contract / temp work is accessible and she'll gain a wider variety of skills and experience than working for one firm.

My DD is doing the same thing. She's combining temp work for a maternity leave (we are in the states so it's only a 12-week gig) and also some food service work.

She disclosed she was on a gap year and the employer saw this as a benefit because no uncomfortableness about being without employment at the end of the employee's leave as DD planning on going to the university in August and won't be able to work there.

My ds just started a gap year and got a job quickly in retail. He was up front and they seem happy. Also, maybe holiday work opportunities when starts University. Pay not as good as say Tesco (18 year old rates) but area he is interested in and plenty of hours.