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Are you ready to work?
College is a great time to get yourself ready to work by developing the skills and the experiences needed for the workplace. Employers are looking for well-rounded individuals who have a good self-awareness of their abilities and examples of where they might have done this. Some other benefits of getting these experiences include:
Why experience is important...
Helping you to decide what you want to do for a career (is it the career you thought it was?)
Gives you a chance to discover what you enjoy doing in a job
Puts the learning from your course into context and hones your practical skills
Builds your network
Can give you information about career routes and opportunities
Gives you on-the-job knowledge about the industry
Let's you learn more about the workplace and how it's different to college
Improves your CV and gives you something to talk about in interviews it could also secure you a reference for future applications
Helps you develop transferable skills like teamwork, communication and planning
Gives you confidence and the chance to meet new people
Getting Experience final.pdfSome examples of how you can prepare for work...
Help out at an open day
Volunteering outside of college
Get a part-time job or do some work shadowing
Do some virtual work experience
Attend activities advertised at college
Attend events linked to your (career) interests
Do the Duke of Edinburgh award
Join the Enterprise Academy at college
Join a club, sporting team or society
Think about taking on a new hobby
For more information on our sporting activities and to get involved, email afcteam@sheffcol.ac.uk
What is volunteering?
Volunteering is doing something good for others without the incentive of a personal gain, like money. It is generally uncontracted and unpaid, but it does offer you the chance to develop a great range of skills, try out something new and meet a variety of people.
Volunteering can be a range of activities- it doesn't always mean working in a charity shop! You could fundraise for a good cause, work with the elderly as a buddy, host sport sessions for children, work at major events, support heritage projects, develop art displays- and much more! There is always a role for everyone. Volunteering is also flexible, and you can commit as little as a few hours to weeks of your time; it all depends on what you can offer. Below are a few myths about volunteering:
Your experience isn't 'work experience'
Any experience you do outside of your studies is relevant for any applications you might do! You get the chance to learn just as many skills volunteering as you do working so make sure to talk about it.You don't get anything out of volunteering because you don't get paid
Did you also know that some volunteer organisations will also refund your travel and even food expenses? Volunteering shouldn't make you out of pocket! Volunteering is a great, easy way to learn new skills and develop confidence, trial a sector or industry before you invest time into making it a career as well as meeting new people and getting references.You don't have enough time to volunteer
Volunteering is great because you can give very little of your time for big rewards. Some opportunities are a few hours in a one off event, some only require one day a month. Keep an eye out for flexible opportunities that work around you.Volunteering is hard to get out of/ you get used by charities who don't want to pay staff
The nature of volunteering is that you are not a paid member of staff, so the responsibilities are less strict. If you find you have no time to volunteer or don't enjoy it, you can leave the role much easier than in a paid job. However, you should always treat volunteering like a job because you can get references!You can't volunteer on benefits
Volunteering is seen as helping you to work towards getting a job by learning new skills and developing confidence. Volunteering shouldn't affect your benefits as long as JobcentrePlus is made aware of what you're doing. For more information check out this Citizen's Advice page.
Where to find volunteering opportunities
Looking for something outside Sheffield? Most towns or cities have volunteer agencies which can help you find local charities just like VAS, a quick internet search should be able to find them!
Volunteering-in-Sheffield_82180.pdfWant more places to check out? Keep an eye out at local community boards, or even get in touch with a charity you like directly. Many organisations have social media you could follow to find out what they have on offer.
What is work experience?
Work experience is any experience you get of a workplace or role. It can be as little as doing a site visit to gain insight into a job, taking part in a week of experience, to spending time over a year visiting a workplace. It is a chance to learn about the industry and learn new skills that you can use in your studies or in applying for jobs. Some work experience can be paid or supported with money for travel/food, however it is often something you do for free in exchange for the experience it gives you.
How can I get work experience?
Work experience can be something you have arranged for yourself, something arranged by college or even be something you are already doing like part time work, helping out at home or volunteering. You could speak to a variety of people to find work experience including staff at the college or even your friends and family. Your personal tutor or lecturer at college should be able to point you in the right direction for support to gain or find work experience. The team at college who might be able to support with this is the work related activity team, but you could also chat about it in a careers appointment about opportunities like part-time work.
Work shadowing
Work shadowing is watching someone in their day-to-day job to get a feel for a particular role, industry or working environment. It might involve spending a day or two in a professional’s company to consider whether it might be something that you would like to do in the future. Not all lines of work are appropriate for work shadowing due to the confidential or risky nature of the work e.g. some health professions, fire service etc.
Opportunities are rarely advertised so you would need to be proactive and contact individuals or companies of areas of work you are interested in. Do you know anyone who is doing an interesting job? Could your tutors recommend any companies that might allow you to shadow someone for a few days? Approach these contacts or employers, explaining to them why you would like to work shadow with your CV and a tailored cover letter to introduce yourself.
What do we mean when we say networking?
What is actually on offer for you at college?
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