Work Experience

Why?

• You'll get to know how people work together, how things get done and how work differs from school or college

• You'll find out if a job is as you imagined, whether it would suit you and the training needed to get into it

• You'll find out which work activities you enjoy, and which you don't

• It can help you set some career goals

Relate your studies to the world of work

• You'll see how important good English, maths and ICT skills are in the workplace

• You may find out how things you have learned in science, design and technology or art, for example, are put into practice

Learn new skills

• You'll develop useful skills such as communication, teamworking, planning and organising, timekeeping, problem solving

• You'll learn how well you can cope in a new environment, working alongside people you don't know

• It will help build your confidence and give you the opportunity to take responsibility for yourself

Improve your employability

• You can add details of your experience to your CV and on apprenticeship and college applications

• It'll show that you are motivated to develop yourself and learn new things

• It'll give you something to talk about in interviews, particularly if you haven't done any paid work

• It can give you the edge over other candidates

• If you get on well in your placement, you might get a reference, a part-time job or even an apprenticeship!!