Other options with a bachelor's degree

You have the option to start working immediately after obtaining your bachelor's degree. 

Some employers i the Netherlands may indicate that they are primarily interested in hiring academics with a completed master's degree and with a clear profile.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of graduates who entered the labour market with a bachelor's degree and find themselves suitable jobs. Whether this is a feasible option for you depends on the sector in shich you are looking for a job, but more importantly on your personal profile. What do you have in mind, in terms of jobs, what do you have to offer and how are you going to approach your job search?

Skills
Rather than linking job opportunities to your master's specialisation, it is important to look what skills (employability skills) you have developed and how they fit in with positions, if you choose to start working with a bachelor's degree.
Employability skills are core skills (general skills) that you need in every job. These are skills that employers ask for and that are at least as important as job-specific skills. The more of these skills you have developed, the more employable you are, and the greater your chances of obtaining a job and advancing your career. It is therefore essential that you are aware of your own skills.

• You will find more information about employability skills on the Career Zone and how to translate them into jobs and vacancies.
• Also take a look at the Career Planning module, so that you can focus your search for a suitable job.
• Take a look at the vacancies in the Leiden University Jobs & Events portal.

If you would like to take a break between your bachelor's degree and master's degree programmes, there are various options for how you can spend your time.  It helps most people to set  certain goal for their gap year. You could think of traveling, taking language courses, working, volunteering, doing a board year, etc.

• The career advisors of the Career Services can think along if you are not yet sure how to best fill in a gap year or period.
• You will find a lot of information about the possibilities for spending a gap year at home or abroad on websites like:
  • gooverseas.com
  • efgapyear.com
  • prospects.ac.uk

 Also take a look at the LU Career Zone if you are looking for information about:

• Volunteer work
• Working abroad
• Working: vacancies on the LU Jobs & Events portal
• Starting your own company
• Board year (e.g. with a study of student association)    

During your gap year, you will of course also have the time to think about your choice of Master's degree programme and to investigate the possibilities. 
For more information, see the Choosing a master's degree programme page.