Work Experience

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Contents 1 Where do I start? 1.1 Internships or Summer Placements / Vacation Placements 1.2 Work Shadowing or Short Term Work Tasters 1.3 Project Placements 1.4 Opportunities after graduation 2 Volunteering 3 Unpaid Work Experience 4 Work Experience Abroad or Gap Year Activities 5 Casual or Part-time Jobs 6 Entrepreneurial Organisations 7 The Speculative Approach /Networking 8 Making the Most of your Work Experience 9 Internet resources 9.1 UK 9.2 International

Where do I start?

Finding your starting point can be one of the highest hurdles to jump over, finding what you want to do after college or university can be quite a challenge. Although you might recognise the importance of work experience you might not have a clue about what you want to do when you complete your studies, so find it difficult identifying the sector(s) in which to look for relevant experience, narrowing down your options is certainly a good starting point. Be both realistic and strict with yourself and focus on what you see yourself doing.

Perhaps you have a vague idea of the direction you want to go in and aim to gain experience directly relating to your subject. However, before you start to look in that direction, make sure you’ve considered all your options (over 70% of jobs in the UK are open to graduates of any discipline). If you are interested in undertaking research, ask in your school about possibilities over the summer and for jobs and experience, keep an eye on http://www.uhi.ac.uk/career-centre/jobs ????

Which type of work experience would suit me best

From structured summer internships to temp work, there is a large and confusing range of types of work experience, some more suited to different sectors and year of study than others:

Internships or Summer Placements / Vacation Placements

• These are placements most commonly offered by firms who recruit large numbers of graduates each year, eg law, finance, accountancy, banking and marketing.

• Most last between 2-12 weeks; many Law firms offer placements at Christmas and Easter as well as in the summer, and a number of banks offer short Easter placements to first and second year students

• They are usually structured and will give you an insight into the company and the work involved, and you are likely to be given a specific project to carry out

• You may be offered a graduate job at the end of a placement

• Be prepared to start applying for these positions early in the academic year (most schemes stipulate that you are in your penultimate year)

Check career centre sections on company websites but aslo follow some of the links at the bottom of this article.

• Some smaller organisations in more varied areas offer them too, but they will not be advertised in just one place. Searching the web is one step forward.

Work Shadowing or Short Term Work Tasters

These are usually unpaid opportunities which you set up yourself, allowing you to spend a short period of time (from one day to two weeks) observing a member of staff and/or undertaking basic duties in an organisation. It is an excellent way of gaining a better understanding of a particular job, sector or potential employer. This type of experience is useful in any sector and may be necessary in sectors where internships are not generally offered, or where it is a requirement to be in your penultimate year. To find out how to go about creating your own opportunity.

Alyn Smith MEP, has produced a booklet entitled 'Opportunities for Bright Scots in Europe, which provides details of many internships available in the EU, European Parliament, Euro 'Think Tanks' and Policy Centres and Science, Technology and Research organisations. These opportunities are open to students of any nationality. Download brochure.EUbrochure.pdf

Project Placements

There are lots of organisations which offer you the opportunity to gain work experience whilst carrying out a specific project in the UK or abroad. Here are a few examples:

• STEP Enterprise - The STEP scheme offers placements to 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, and recent graduates in small and medium sized enterprises in almost every business sector.
• The Business Environment Partnership (BEP) - The BEP organises the ‘Environmental Placement Programme’ which places students of any year (except most 1st and PhD level) within Scottish businesses to undertake projects with an environmental focus. It provides students with paid work experience in a commercial environment.
• IAESTE(International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) an exchange program which gives students of science, engineering, technology and the applied arts, paid, course-related, technical training abroad.
• The Saltire Foundation Undergraduate Internship Programme offers penultimate year students from Scottish universities the chance to experience working life in some of the world’s top companies. Applicants need to demonstrate a commitment to Scotland and the desire to play a part in its long-term economic success.

Opportunities after graduation

There are a number of organizations which advertise work experience opportunities specifically for recent graduates. Here are a few examples:

• STEP Enterprise. As well as offering placements to 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, the Shell Step programme now allows recent graduates to take part in its UK leading nationwide project-based work placement programme.

• The European Union offers short-term attachments (normally lasting 3-5 months), to young university graduates. These provide first-hand experience of the workings of the European Commission in particular, and of the EU institutions in general. Attachments are normally either in administrative or linguist posts. Full details are available on the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) website.

• The Mountbatten Institute offers an internship year in New York with an option of the MBA degree in International Business Practice. This programme is open to all nationalities except US citizens, those with the right of abode in the USA or citizens of NAFTA countries.

• The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme provides graduates without specialist experience and skills, the opportunity to work overseas and improve foreign language teaching in schools.

• The Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) offers work placements in the USA for recent graduates.

• European Training Services (ETS) - Leonardo Da Vinci – EU funded vocational training programme abroad. ETS offers recent graduates the opportunity to travel to Europe with the Leonardo Da Vinci exchange programme, which consists of a 2 week language course abroad, followed by a 10 week work placement. To qualify for an interview on this programme you should be legally resident in the UK and have ambitions to improve your vocational skills, communication skills, self-development and independence. The Leonardo grant covers: international travel, language course, insurance, accommodation and a living allowance. For further information and to apply, visit the ETS website or email ETS.

• Twin Work & Volunteer Abroad also provides fully funded Leonardo Da Vinci - EU funded vocational training programmes abroad.

Volunteering

Many organisations in the voluntary or not-for-profit sectors that rely on volunteers also employ graduates in paid positions, and volunteer experience at any stage of your time at university can clearly give you an advantage in an increasingly competitive job market. remember, volunteering looks great on your CV!

Try http://www.scvo.org.uk or http://www.volunteeringhighland.org.uk

Unpaid Work Experience

If you are considering undertaking unpaid work experience in the UK it is important to be aware of National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation so that you are not exploited. The Business Link website gives information about the NMW and the circumstances in which people need not be paid. There are also some examples which try to clarify the legislation.

Work Experience Abroad or Gap Year Activities

Just about any form of work experience is also available worldwide. The careers centre has a range of directories listing vacancies in the USA and around the world.

Also visit the Prospects Website Special Interest Series: Gap Year

Casual or Part-time Jobs

Work experience in a pub, shop or other type of “student” job is also recognised by graduate employers as valuable, so long as you can demonstrate in your applications and interviews the transferable skills, insights and achievements you have gained. Make sure you do a good job but also try to find out more about the processes involved in making where you work run smoothly. Be prepared to make the most of every opportunity to use your initiative, communicate your good ideas, network, and demonstrate your positive attitude to work. All this will make your CV stand out from the crowd and give you lots to talk about at interview later.

Entrepreneurial Organisations

If you are considering starting your own business or self-employment at some stage, undertaking work experience in an entrepreneurial organisation is a great way to find out what it takes and contribute to building a business.

Check out Enternships for opportunities

The Speculative Approach /Networking

In some sectors including publishing, PR, the media and the voluntary sector, advertised work experience can be really tough to find and a speculative approach can be very effective. Don’t forget the importance of networking – you may be able to find something through family, friends and other connections.

Making the Most of your Work Experience

Whatever type of work you do ensure you really make the most of it! Show up on time, dress appropriately, be enthusiastic and helpful, ask great questions, put forward your ideas and suggestions, and offer to make tea/do photocopying as well as being involved with the more exciting tasks. Remember to keep a note of any particular achievements you manage to notch up, as well as any nuggets of praise you receive. These will come in handy when answering tricky questions in future job applications and interviews.

AGCAS Booklets

• Applications, CVs and covering letters
• Going for Interviews

Internet resources

This is a selection of work experience related websites - it is by no means an exhaustive list (* for work experience after graduation)

UK

• top internships.com Undergraduate internship and placement site. It's a free & easy way to search and compare undergraduate internship and placement programmes from graduate recruiters across multiple sectors. It's also the key point of information for internship and placement news, features and application advice.
• Internship Help UK The UKs only careers website dedicated purely to internships. The site is free to use, and contains comprehensive information on internships ranging from investment banking and politics to travelling and teaching abroad.
• AISEC - the world's largest student organisation; international internships
• Business Bridge (North East) - opportunities for students and graduates to undertake specific projects in the North East of England
• TARGETjobs - search for work experience on this comprehensive graduate careers website
• Go Wales - offers work experience to graduates in Wales
• Graduate Advantage - placements for students and graduates with employers in the West Midlands
• Graduates for Business - full-time, 3 to 10 months project based work in Scotland for graduates
• hotrecruit - search thousands of full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal jobs
• Inside Careers - comprehensive graduate careers website offering a work experience service
• Milkround.com Browse graduate jobs and internships by industry, location and employer
• The National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) - promoting, supporting and developing quality work experience for the benefits of students, organisations and the economy
• Prospects - search for placements by job category and location
• Shell STEP - UK-wide programme offering students and graduates project-based work within SMEs
• Fledglings - UK student resource for industrial placements (limited vacation placements)
• WikiJob Internships - WikiJob Internship Information

International

• Prospects website Country specific information Find out about working and studying in over 50 countries worldwide.
• The Saltire Foundation International summer internships for penultimate year students at Scottish universities
• Bunac - variety of work abroad programmes
• Camp America - cultural exchange programme offering work experience in US summer camps
• CCUSA - programmes for work and travel overseas
• EuroDesk A free, unbiased enquiry service providing you with the information you need to work, study, travel and volunteer in Europe.
• gap-year.com - site dedicated to taking a gap year, with lots of advice and links to programme providers
• GapAdvice - Independent advice on gap years
• Go Abroad Opportunities abroad include study abroad, internships, volunteer opportunities, teach abroad, language schools and much more.
• InternJobs.com - global database of internships for students, recent graduates and career changers
• Kareeve - seasonal jobs throughout the world
• Mountbatten Internship Programme* - year-out work experience in New York (or London for US citizens)
• Raleigh International - youth development charity offering challenging gap year environmental and community projects overseas
• SummerJobs.com - summer jobs and seasonal positions in locations throughout the world
• TravelTree - one stop shop for alternative and educational travel worldwide
• Trekforce Expeditions - challenging expedition and gap year programmes
• IAESTE - placements abroad for scientists, engineers and architects
• My Platform2 Website aimed at students of limited means to undertake voluntary work overseas.
• Volunteer Action for Peace (VAP) - range of working projects both in the United Kingdom and around the world
• WorldWide Volunteering - volunteering opportunities around the world (can search based on your budget)]