Work experience
Suited to all, but particularly 4th year school students
‘Work experience’ is a broad term than can be applied to all different sorts of opportunities including work shadowing, work placements and internships.
In school, work experience usually takes the form of a week of work shadowing with an employer during 4th year. Your teachers will help you to arrange your work experience, but if you have a particular company in mind, it’s worth writing a polite, but engaging letter to the organisation at the beginning of the school year.
Work shadowing
Suited to all, but particularly school students
Work shadowing means just that – shadowing someone as they do their job in order to better understand what they do and how they do it. While more hands-off than a placement or an internship, work shadowing can still help you to get a taste for a job or an industry. Work shadowing is usually unpaid and lasts no more than two weeks.
Work placements
Suited to all
The term ‘work placement’ is loosely applied to any formal work experience scheme. A work placement usually runs for a set period of time and is quite structured with specific tasks and training. You could do a work placement as part of a National Training Programme. If you’re over eighteen and unemployed, Jobcentre Plus also offers work placements that can help you to gain valuable experience.
Graduate placements often involve jumping between different departments within a business to get a taste for a variety of different roles. Graduate placements can often lead to a permanent position with a company and for that reason they can also be highly competitive.
Internships
Suited to college and university students, as well as recent graduates
An internship generally means the same thing as a work placement, but some industries prefer the term internship. Lots of companies offer summer internships to college and university students. If you’re interested, you should start looking early in the academic year. Many companies also offer graduate internship schemes with the chance of securing a permanent job at the end.
Sandwich placement
Suited to college and university students
Some university or college courses involve a year long placement with an employer. The work you do during the placement forms part of your course work and you will generally be paid a wage.
Voluntary work
Suited to all
Voluntary work with a not-for-profit organisation is an excellent way to boost your CV, develop your skills and gain professional contacts. You could be doing anything from picking up litter to helping run a marketing campaign, depending on the role you apply for. Make sure when applying to mention your strengths and what kind of work you’re interested in doing.
The upside of being a volunteer is that you can give as little or as much of your time as you’re able to. The downside is that the work will be unpaid. For more information, check out Volunteer Scotland.
Unpaid work placements and internships
Strictly speaking, no placement or internship should be unpaid unless it’s with a not-for-profit organisation or you are just doing a short period of work shadowing. However, in a competitive job market this isn’t always the case. Read Making an internship work for you, for more information.
Tips on how to apply for work experience
If you’re in further or higher education, your college or university careers service can assist you in finding work experience opportunities.
You should regularly check out the websites of any companies you’re interested in working for. Big companies often have a section on their website that deals with placements, internships and other work experience opportunities.
Remember, work placements, internships and even some voluntary work can be highly competitive. It’s important to start your search early and give your application some thought.
When submitting a CV or application, try to focus on your strengths. There may be many other applicants who are doing or have done a similar college or university course to you. Try thinking about what sets you apart. Read Discover your strengths for more information.
For more help building a CV check out My CV.
