Work experience: the basics
Friday 14 November 2008
Do you have an idea of the kind of work you might want to do in the future? Or perhaps you’re already looking for your first job? Either way, gaining work experience can be really beneficial.
What is work experience?
Work experience can be any employment, paid or voluntary, that builds on your experience of life in the work place.
Why bother?
Employers value work experience and it makes an impressive addition to your CV.
Gaining this kind of experience will help you develop an understanding of the world of work, equipping you with the skills and attitudes necessary to prepare you for working life.
It shows prospective employers how you have applied your studies. Also, the fact that you have worked also shows that you have gained some skills in decision making, problem solving, communication and team work, not to mention a certain amount of maturity!
Finally work experience is also the best way to help you find out whether a particular career is right for you.
Types of work experience
There are lots of different types of work experience available.
The Diploma
If you feel you are not quite ready for the workplace and would like to continue with your education The Diplomas is a good option.
It came into effect this September and combines normal learning in the classroom with practical experience. The work experience placements can give you an insight of what that job is really like before you commit to that career.
Find out more about The Diploma
University work placements
Some courses include work placements or sometimes whole sandwich years as part of the course. If you do a course with a sandwich year the work is paid and also counts as an assessed part of your course. Shorter work experience placements are usually not paid, but can offer a really useful insight and also allow you to try lots of different industry areas.
Voluntary work
This is any form of unpaid work undertaken outside your educational timetable. There is even virtual volunteering that you can do from home!
Find out more about voluntary work.
Part-time work
Paid or unpaid work undertaken during term-time.
Internships
Internships are short-term, supervised periods of work experience related to your field of study, for which you can earn academic credit. The work can be full or part-time, paid or unpaid.
Work shadowing
Shadowing involves helping a member of staff working in a business you'd like to be in in the future. As a result you can learn about the job and decide if it's the right career for you.
How to get started
If you're hoping to work in a popular or exciting industry, such as in TV or film, then competition for work experience can be really tough. Depending on what area you hope to go into, you'll need to make a big impression when you send your request for work experience.
The traditional way of asking for work experience is to put together a covering letter and Curriculum Vitae, otherwise known as a CV.
The web has tons of useful tips for putting together a good letter and CV, but here are some basics:
- Research the background of each company you apply to. Showing you know the business (briefly) might get you to the top of the pile.
- A covering letter should explain who you are and why you are interested in work experience at that particular company.
- If you're not sure of the tone of the letter, ask friends or a teacher to read it to see if it paints a good picture of you.
- Your CV is a document that describes your employment background. Employers decide whether you're suitable for work experience based on previous jobs and qualifications.
- Even if you don't have the experience, push your skills. Good examples to highlight are strong communication skills, literacy, ICT skills, working to deadlines and fitting in with new teams quickly.
To learn more about work experience, writing your covering letter and CV, take a look through our list of featured web sites.
