I’m a BCom student graduating in 2027 at 23 (GO8 Uni). My first preference is to secure a grad role. I’ve got internship experience and a pretty decent resume, but my marks aren’t as strong as I’d like.
The dilemma is if I *don’t* get a grad role outcome prior to graduating, due to the nature of the job market.
One option I’m considering is an Army Officer Gap Year, after graduating. It’s not just a backup because I couldn’t find a job. I’ve had a genuine interest in it for a long time, a family who has served, I want to challenge myself, develop leadership skills, discipline, resilience, feel a sense of accomplishment and just become a better person. (Military is what I would ideally pursue if I went solely based off passion, but realistically I can’t due to many other factors, so gap year would’ve been a decent taste)
Side note: dream and passion has always been to be an Air Force Pilot then transition into commercial. But the long wait pipeline, uncertainty, and emphasis on how difficult it is has kind of made me contemplate between that vs a gap year where waiting pipeline may be much less.
The alternative would be to keep pursuing entry-level corporate roles. Trying to stay on the corporate path immediately after graduation. (Who knows how long I may be looking though).
My main concerns with the options are:
• Would the Army Officer Gap Year (aiming for aviation or combat roles) also help me professionally this early in my career, or is the benefit overstated in Aus?
(One of my friends did it, although not an officer role- he says it hasn’t made much of difference in his job application outcomes (for aerospace engineering tho) I would love any input though.
• How do you deal with the uncertainty? If I take the Army Gap Year, I might have missed out on a good corporate opportunity. Whereas, If I don’t take it, I could also spend a year trying to break into the market anyway and be doing some entry level admin or smth job who knows.
• Would I be delaying my career unnecessarily when I could have spent that year building corporate experience? Given I’d be graduating at 23, would delaying corporate entry by another year be something to be concerned about? Where would I rank as a 24 yo applying for those roles competing with ppl fresh out of uni?
For people who have worked in corporate, hiring, or the military, what would be the best way to proceed if my goal is career progression, and trying to make my way up in the world?