Why do work experience?
It can help you when making choices about your future, you can gain new skills and can strengthen your CV or course application. Some higher education courses require you to have completed relevant work experience and many employers want young people who have had experience of the world of work.
Your work experience could be related to a career you are interested in or could provide you with a more general idea about the world of work. Either way, you could:
- Learn valuable skills like communication and teamworking
- Gain experience of working with different people
- Find out more about yourself – your abilities, strengths and weaknesses
- Find out about what you might like or dislike in a job
- Find out more about the working environment
How do you go about getting work experience?
You can ask a teacher or the Careers Leader or Work Experience Co-ordinator at your school or college about arranging work experience for you.
These websites also have information to help you find work experience:
Making the most of your work experience
- Think about what you’re looking for in the placement. Do you have a job or industry in mind? What sort of environment would you like to work in – shop, office etc? What do you hope to get out of it?
- Keep a record of what you do and any skills you learn. This could include photos, videos and comments from supervisors.
- You could use your work experience to evidence your skills on a CV or application or at an interview.
- Make sure you keep contacts of anyone you may need to use as a reference or for future job applications.
Don’t forget...
Part-time, Saturday or holiday jobs and voluntary work provide valuable experience of work – click here to find out more
