Getting Experience

With the cost of Higher Education increasing constantly and the struggle to get into them even harder, anything you can do to help yourself is good, and so Work Experience or even Voluntary Work can be invaluable.

They can be very rewarding, look great to employers and potential universities, and can help you decide about your future career, and whether it suits you or not.

Recently, the demand for Work Experience has obviously increased. In January this year, the Government introduced a new scheme in which young people will be allowed to do Work Experience for up to eight weeks, therefore increasing the skills they will get, and also the contacts.

Tilly Legros, a voluntary worker from the Museums and Gallery sector, appeared at a recent conference on why it’s so important and said “At Sixth-Form age I attended a Work Experience Day at a museum, and I really enjoyed it, so I came back, and it has helped me to realise that I do enjoy working in the museum and gallery sector, and I have gained a lot of contacts and experience through my time at the museum.”

Tilly also reinforced the idea that Work Experience and Voluntary Work can look great on your CV, and therefore raising your chances of getting into universities and getting a job. “It does help, because you will gain experience of the job you are looking to do, and will determine whether you think that job and lifestyle suits you or not. Even though there is no money involved, it is a financial gain in the long run, as it can save you money from not going into the wrong career, and also will prepare you for the future, and give you great contacts in the industry.”

Work Experience and Voluntary Work are not hard to come by, with many businesses incredibly willing to help out young people. If you ask, the worst they can say is no!

For more information visit:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/jan-2011/dwp007-11.shtml

By Georgia Carr, Year 8