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Jobs: Work experience

We’ve mentioned in the past how important work experience is when it comes to getting a job when you graduate – so it seemed about time to go over what types of work experience are available and how to get them.

The graduate jobs market is getting increasingly competitive but that’s no reason to worry. Adding a few more feathers to your cap as you go along is not as difficult as you might think. Work experience is one of the easiest and best things you can do to give yourself an edge and improve your chances when the time comes and there are loads of different ways to get it. It’s also a great way to find out whether a role or industry is really right for you.

Part-time jobs
Any work you do will give you experience. Simple as. Even if it’s completely unrelated to the area you want to work in when you graduate. Employers are interested in seeing that you’re able to function in the world of work, so even your supermarket or fast-food job is relevant in some ways.

Any role will have its fair share of transferable skills and being able to draw these out and apply them to different jobs and situations is a skill in itself. If you can get this across in applications it’ll really boost your chances. Getting part-time jobs can seem tricky at times, especially if you haven’t got any previous experience, but thinking about what skills you’ve developed through your studies (eg organisation, working under pressure) or through extra-curricular activities (eg teamwork, communication) and including these on your application will help.

Holiday work experience
Graduate employers look for a range of experience and the long summer holidays are an ideal opportunity to get stuck in, do new things and take on more responsibility. If you’re looking to do something new, friends and family can be a great place to start or your careers service might be able to suggest a few companies in your local area.

A good way to make the most of the time is to approach companies that operate in the sector you’re interested in. If you’re still not sure then you can use this time to get a taster of different business areas to help you make up your mind. A normal summer job with a local firm should be relatively straightforward to find and will be an excellent addition to your CV.

If, however, you’re looking for something more specific, you’ll need to do some research and put some work into your application. Your careers service or local Connexions office should be able to point you in the right direction, though you shouldn’t ignore smaller, local companies either. They sometimes offer a broader range of experience and may give you more responsibility.

What’s on offer will vary between industries and individual companies. Some organisations will pay you; others will expect you to work for free. Certain firms will have a structured programme involving training, others will be more like a typical job whereas with some you may find yourself doing plenty of tea-making, filing and not a lot else. Some employers may offer placements abroad, but these are hard to come by! As such it’s worth getting an idea of what to expect before you go.

Adding a few more feathers to your cap as you go along is not as difficult as you might think. Work experience is one of the easiest and best things you can do to give yourself an edge and improve your chances when the time comes and there are loads of different ways to get it

Also consider…
If you find it hard to get a job relevant to your chosen sector, you could always consider work shadowing for a few days. This entails observing a professional as they go about their usual day and can provide a valuable insight into what working life is actually like within the industry as well as being a great opportunity to network with people in the sector.

Internships
Internships are a bit more formal in structure than summer work experience placements and usually last between six and ten weeks. The emphasis is on training and it’s an opportunity to get experience that’s directly relevant to the sorts of roles you intend to apply for when you graduate.

On an internship you’ll be expected to undertake real tasks and work on big projects – or even run your own. You’ll be treated much like any other employee and will be expected to act as such.

Internships take place in the summer before your final year but it’s worth thinking ahead. Decide what you want to get out of your internship, get your research out of the way and put your application in early – say just after the start of your penultimate year.

Deadlines usually fall between January and Easter but will differ depending on the company so check well in advance. It’s not just big companies that offer internships these days either; many SME (small–medium enterprises) are beginning to take on interns too.

These can be trickier to find but there are various organisations that can help you such as Shell Step. You can also use the job search here on yougo or on TARGETjobs to search for internships and placements. Your careers service is likely to be a massive help too and may be able to suggest opportunities you hadn’t thought to explore.

Employers are increasingly using their internship programmes as part of the recruitment process, with some companies offering permanent positions to as many as 80 per cent of their interns. Competition can be pretty strong and, as such, it’s important to take your application seriously and make some effort. Research the company thoroughly and make it clear why you want to do your internship with them in particular.

Industrial placements and sandwich years
Some courses will offer the opportunity for an industrial placement or ‘sandwich’ year. These are along the same lines as an internship but will usually last longer; often between six months and a year. They are particularly popular within construction, engineering and other technical subjects, as well as finance and the hospitality and leisure sector.

You’re likely to have to organise your own placement but your course leaders and careers service should be able to help. Some universities even have dedicated placement officers. Getting a placement isn’t a given; there can be quite a lot of competition for places so you’ll need to make sure your application is top-notch.

You should aim to get your application in shortly after the start of your penultimate year, though different employers and courses may have different requirements, so always check first. Having some sort of work experience prior to this can also improve your chances.

If a sandwich placement isn’t part of your course but you’re really keen to get some on-the-job experience then consider an internship or speak to your course leaders who may be able to accommodate you, allowing you to take a year out.

The range of different work opportunities available should mean that there’s something for everyone. You’ll need to put some effort in to make it worthwhile but the investment will pay off when it comes to applying for graduate jobs – as long as you make the most of the opportunity and are able to get across the skills and knowledge you gained.

Related links
yougo jobs channel
TARGETjobs
More information on internships

Luke Micallef
TARGETjobs.co.uk