"I wish I'd seen your site before I went on my career break."
This is a call we hate to get - not because we're desperate for attention but because nobody needs to have a bad experience on their career break.
How to choose a good career break organisation
First of all, use this site. Every organisation on it has been vetted by us.
We have the strictest vetting scheme in the entire gap year and career break industry.
We have an 'Approved' logo for our partners to use so look for this on other sites. This isn't limited to our advertisers - any organisation who is approved by us can use it and they don't have to pay.
Ask questions
Don't be afraid of asking questions. Good career break organisations encourage questions, and are happy to answer any you might have.
You can also ask to speak to people who've used the organisation before.
If the answer to your question is crucial for you to have a good career break, ensure you get it in writing (or in email).
While it's important to know what to expect, be aware that things change all the time and a lot of times, you can't be guaranteed something. This is especially true with career breaks involving animals, countries with rapidly-changing visa restrictions, or weather - no-one can make the snow fall from the sky!
Go with your instinct
How you feel about the organisation when you speak to them will help guide you in your decisions.
Are they willing to answer your questions? Do you feel that they care about your career break needs? Are they matching you with a course or project that suits you?
Finally - remember this career break fact
The huge majority of career break organisations are decent.
We've worked in this industry for many years, we know the people in it and there are only a handful of organisations who aren't very good.
Most career break organisations are run by people with a passion for what they do, and who genuinely care about you having an unforgettable experience.
Now what?
- See a list of approved gap year organisations
- Search for approved career break opportunities
- Order information and brochures - guaranteed spam-free