Having read about European kids taking a gap year after school and before starting work… Aside from thinking it’s amazing that young people there can afford to do something like that, I also was always envious that apparently taking a year off wouldn’t screw them over when it came to getting a job. In the US, having even a few months when you’re young during which you were not employed full time is seen as a red flag by employers. Because obviously you can’t have a good work ethic if you want to take a few months of your life to yourself at some point.