This month we wanted to share the viewpoint of Genevieve, a year 10 pupil from Birchwood High School, who has recently gone through the process and experienced the challenge of securing a work experience placement.
Introduction:
Work experience is a valuable tool which allows young people the opportunity to be introduced to formal workplaces. Over a short period spent in a designated workplace, it allows for young people to observe how genuine workplaces function, and how to professionally and formally conduct themselves.
The main purpose of this experience is to act as a stepping stone into the working environment of later life. It allows for young people to comfortably and confidently enter new job roles late in life due to the consolidation of fundamental conduct and skills in earlier life.
Contacts:
Work experience is most commonly and easily found through family and friends. This includes parents, siblings, grandparents and wider family members. Neighbours and family friends are also useful contacts. This route offers the advantage of allowing the young person to join a trusted adult for an entire working day or week.
For those without connections, the best way to find work experience boils down to two things: perseverance and planning. The earlier the work experience planning starts, the better, as there is more time for rejection and further attempts.
Planning:
Make sure that you organise your email address and regularly check your inbox. Contact as many organisations as possible. Some small businesses or independently run organisations may be willing to take on a young person for a day or two, and it may be possible to put together two work experiences to fill the time allocated. However, email contact can create a slow process, and an early start to the search allows time for multiple contacts for willing employers to organise legal requirements, and for any information to be relayed to parents or schools. Keep in mind that under 16s may have a much harder time finding a placement due to the liability attached to age.
Perseverance:
Finding work experience is a very slow process and takes a lot of time. Many employers will not even reply to email requests or phone messages left. In some cases, visiting the employer’s premises may be a more effective way of gaining positive attention. Finding a willing employer can be a very deflating and frustrating process, so to improve chances of success, ask teachers, your child’s careers adviser or careers lead in school for leads and contacts.
Seek established work experience programmes:
Many large companies and some public sector organisations such as the NHS have well-established work experience schemes, both at their head offices (which tend to be located in big cities) and at their branches all over the country. So if there’s a particular company that appeals to you, Google their name and the words “work experience” to see what’s available. These schemes tend to be competitive, so take the time to make your application as good as it can possibly be. It’s also a good idea to apply for more than one placement in case you receive a rejection from your first choice.
Virtual work experience:
If all else fails, make use of virtual work experience:
- www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/teachers/work-experience.html
- www.youthemployment.org.uk/careers-advice-help/surrey-county-council-work-experience-guide/
- www.speakersforschools.org/vwex
- www.pwc.co.uk/careers/early-careers/our-programmes/insight-weeks.html
- www.bsmsoutreach.thinkific.com/courses/VWE
- www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/work-experience/observe-gp
- www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience
Conclusion:
Finding rewarding and worthwhile work experience is a valuable way for young people to explore career ideas, gain useful skills, knowledge and experience of real-life workplaces, as well as confidence in working with older colleagues. The main way to find work experience is through personal contacts, direct contact with companies and through virtual programmes as a backup.