The importance of work experience – and how to get it

Whether you are a school leaver or a recent graduate, work experience is so important. It gives you experience in the industry you want to work in but it can also give you a clearer idea in your head of what you want to do. As well as looking good on your CV you can also find out where your skills lie and where your strengths are. Work experience is the perfect opportunity to discover what you love.

It gives you insight into a role

Work experience allows you to have hands on experience in different roles. You might think you’ll love a job and love a certain role but after learning more about it you might realise that it’s not for you. Don’t feel disheartened if this is the case, you should see it as a positive. Now you know it’s not for you and you can move on. It gives you real life insight into what the role is like instead of what you might have imagined in your head and help you to find what you really love to do.

It shows employers you’ve got some experience in the workplace

Even if you are only spending a week or two in an office environment, employers will like that you have had some experience and been exposed to an office environment. It will give you a head start in how an office operates and how to conduct yourself in an office.

It provides something to talk about in interviews

Having some work experience is also a great thing to talk about in an interview and can help you answer questions. For example, if an interviewer asks you to name a time when you solved a problem or to name a time that you were proud of yourself, this is a great time to talk about work experience. It can give you workplace situations rather than talking about school or personal experiences. It can also be good to talk about how you were challenged during your work experience and how you handled that and learnt from it. For more interview tips, click here!

Gives you confidence

Working in a new environment can be daunting but going outside your comfort zone will help to give you confidence in yourself and your abilities. It will also give you more confidence about diving into another work environment because you’ll know what to expect.

It could lead to a job offer

If you go into your work experience with a good attitude, ready to learn and show a passion for the industry, it could lead to a full-time job if they are impressed with you and have a position available. You also never know the connections people have and where you will meet them in the future so always leave a lasting impression on people and work hard.

If your school, college, or university doesn’t organise work experience you can do this on the holidays or after exams. Remember having some work experience on your CV will help you stand out from your peers and show you are enthusiastic and have a proactive approach to your career. To secure work experience, try the following:

Ask about employers who’ve accepted work experience students before 

Whether asking a friend who has done something similar before or a careers advisor with connections, businesses that have accepted work experience in the past are likely to do so again.

Try a proactive approach

If there are companies you’d love to work for, get in touch via email or even LinkedIn. Explain the skills you could offer and what you hope to gain. You never know unless you ask! If you can make it clear how committed and keen you are to learn from them, many businesses will consider it.