The interviewer looks over the résumé and says, "So what are you doing now?" They ask. It's a question that comes up when there's a gap of about a year on your résumé. I often hear that international students get flustered by this question. Is it okay to say that you were taking a break? ## In other countries In some countries, the time people spend traveling or resting after graduation is called a "gap year." It's also common to go back to school after working. In many places, people just shrug off a gap on a résumé with a "that happens." ## In Korea In Korea, this gap is called a "gongbaekgi." For a long time, many companies have run "gongchae," hiring new employees all at once around graduation time. So going straight into a job after graduating has become the most common path. Résumés, too, are often read based on time that continues without a break. When an interviewer sees time that falls outside that path, they wonder why. It isn't that they mean to see you in a bad light; it's just that the eye that reads résumés has been trained that way. ## Try answering like this Just be honest, and briefly talk about what you did and learned during that time. Like, "I studied Korean and prepared for a certification exam." Not every company is like that. These days, many companies are changing.