Are you in Year 13 and thinking about what to do when you leave school? Work experience can help you find out more about jobs that might interest you.
Work experience is about exploring different options and making up your mind about possible career pathways. It can show you the reality of a job and help you decide whether or not you think it would suit you. It is also a chance to leave the classroom and have more hands-on experiences in the world of work.
What is Work Experience?
Work experience usually involves spending one or two weeks in a work environment that interests you.
You will observe how the workplace operates and be given tasks to do. You will learn more about different work roles and find out if you want to work in particular fields. Work experience is usually unpaid, but what you can learn, plus the experience for your CV can make it worthwhile.
Organising work experience
Most Schools have a work experience service. Seek out your school or college career advisor, who will have relationships with local businesses and can advise you on how to apply.
You can also arrange your own work experience by having a CV prepared and contacting a company that interests you. You can research local businesses online and talk to people you know to find out where they work and if their company offers work experience.
Benefits of Work Experience
Work experience can help you to:
- Use existing skills and develop new ones.
- Develop communication skills.
- Build confidence.
- Become more independent and have responsibility.
- Apply what you have learned at school to a work environment.
- Understand more about how companies operate.
- Add something interesting to your CV.
Work experience can be the first step in exploring careers that interest you.
Here are 10 Work Experience ideas for Year 13s:
Sports4Kids
Are you keen on sports and interested in learning about being a sports coach? Sports4Kids offers work experience for students aged 14 and upwards. Lead coaches will supervise you, and the programme will cover coaching, teaching, and employability.
You can apply through the website and attach your CV. Sports4Kids has a career pathway with other opportunities for students wanting to be sports coaches.
Wildlife Trust
If you want to connect with nature, you might like to have work experience with a wildlife organisation. The Wildlife Trust offers work experience to young people 11 – 17 who are interested in learning about careers in conservation. You’ll get to visit a selection of their nature reserves and learn more about their work to protect wildlife.
The Wildlife Trust is a charity with 46 trusts across the UK which look after 2,300 nature reserves. Each trust aims to protect and restore the natural world and help more people experience, understand and value nature.
Work experience usually runs for a week in July each year. Apply by completing the form on the website and sending it to the email address supplied.
Banks
If you are interested in working in a bank, there are numerous opportunities to consider. Some banks offer online work experience, while others have in-person placements.
Barclays Lifeskills offer online work experience for young people aged 14-19. The programme includes webinars, online activities, completing a project and five live sessions with Barclays employees.
HSBC is a leading global bank with a week-long work experience programme for students in years 9-13. The placements are available in the summer at various UK locations. The programme allows students to gain practical experience, develop knowledge of banking and explore available careers at HSBC.
NHS Hospital
Many NHS hospitals offer work experience to students but there is a lot of competition for places. Information can be found on hospital websites and applications are made online.
An example is the Royal Berkshire Foundation NHS Trust, which has two schemes. One is for medicine, and the other is for all other areas, including midwifery, nursing, allied health professions, pathology, clinical engineering and pharmacy.
These unpaid places are usually for one week. Applicants need to demonstrate their interest in the area they are applying for and show some understanding of the role.
BBC
The BBC is the world’s leading broadcaster. They deliver content to their audience through TV, radio, iPlayer, Sounds, News, Sport and more.Â
The BBC runs work experience taster days across the UK for students aged 16-18.
At a taster day you will have the chance to:
- Learn about the media industry and workplace environment.
- Find out about career opportunities at the BBC.
- Develop some hands on skills.
- Spend time in a BBC studio.
- Learn about the BBC apprenticeship scheme.
Applications can be made through the BBC website.
Hair Salon
Your school can advise you on getting work experience, or you can take your CV and approach salons directly. Salon managers often look for young people interested in hairdressing, and salons are good places to get work experience.
You will have plenty to do during your work experience, including shampooing clients’ hair, assisting stylists, keeping the salon tidy and making refreshments.
If you decide to become a hairdresser, you can apply to work as a Saturday assistant until you leave school. After school, you could apply for a hairdressing apprenticeship.
Car Garage
If you are interested in being a mechanic, your school could help you find work experience, or you could approach businesses yourself. You could call into car garages with your CV and ask about work experience.
When you’re doing work experience, you will have some jobs, such as changing car tyres, helping to fit exhaust systems, adding engine oil and more.
If you decide to pursue a career as a mechanic, you can apply to do an apprenticeship.
Virtual Work Experience
Springpod works with employers and universities to offer free online work experience courses that usually last about ten hours. Some can be taken immediately, while others must be booked in advance.
Springpod has work experience courses for most careers, including art and design, computing, architecture, healthcare, engineering, and finance. These courses are interactive and informative and include hearing from industry experts.
Co-op
Co-op has a large chain of stores across the UK. They offer work experience for one week to students in Years 12 and 13.
You will work alongside staff and learn how a store operates. You will find out about the career opportunities at Co-op.
Applications should be made directly to your nearest store.
County Council
Your local council may offer work experience. You can find information on the council website.
For example, Cardiff Council runs a work experience programme for young people aged 14 and over. You learn more about Cardiff and how the council and its services work. You meet experienced employees who can give you career guidance and complete tasks and activities. The programme lasts between four and ten days.
A lot of councils around the country offer similar work experience programmes.
Making the most of work experience
Make sure you add your work experience to your CV. Write a bit about what you did and what you learned.
It is useful to reflect on your work experience. You can write about it and answer these questions:
- What did you enjoy most about your work experience?
- What did you enjoy least?
- What did you learn?
- Did you improve any skills?
- Would you like to work in this field? Why/why not?
- What would you like to do next to find out more about careers?
Good luck on your work experience journey!