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Work experience options

See what's out there, and start making those calls!

Often qualifications alone are not enough to get your foot in the door of your chosen career. Employers are looking for knowledge and experience of the working world as well as an education, so now you have the responsibility of finding work experience whilst studying.

Some are surprised to find out how many different types of work experience options there are out there. By taking on short, long, paid and unpaid placements of one kind or another, you can come out of your degree with a strong list of work experience to go with your qualification.

We've taken a look at the options available to you, so now you can see what's out there, and start making those calls!

Casual Work:

More likely than not you've already got some part-time student work experience under your belt. Perhaps you didn't think your time at Sainsbury's, some other high street store, warehouse, pub or restaurant didn't count for much, but you can use this to your advantage by stating you learnt skills in important areas such as team work and customer service. You'll also gain real experience of the pressures of a working environment.

You should be prepared to answer questions on this type of work when going for graduates jobs - many employers say that too many ex-students don't think this kind of experience counts and aren't prepared to discuss their work when going for interviews!

Employers for these kinds of jobs look for availability and flexibility as most of these jobs are for evening and weekend work. These kinds of openings are filled quickly, so keep an eye out when you out in town for adverts, and also check out the local paper's recruitment section.

The upside is some extra cash (but don't expect to earn too much!) but the downside is that you will have less free time and could find yourself working regularly on Friday nights!

One other thing worth looking into is the CRAC Insight Plus programme. This is a project that is providing assessment and accreditation of part-time work.

International Work Experience:

Many people want to travel, and for those that want to see the world there can be an issue of funds. Problem solved - the perfect solution is to combine your holiday with work experience and get something extra to put on your CV whilst you're at it!

There are many types of international work experience available, for example you could do casual work combined with travelling over periods of time ranging from weeks to a year! Another option is to take a formal placement of some kind; again for differing amounts of time, or perhaps looking in papers for overseas work such as teaching English as a foreign language. There is also the overseas volunteering option that can give you lots of life, as well as work, experience.

It is not that hard to get this kind of work, especially if you go for the casual or volunteer option. You'll need to get some funds saved up however, and have a valid passport. If you go through companies that offer schemes such as VSO, Camp America etc, you'll get support with travel preparation and contacts whilst away from home.

Be aware that costs may be higher than you expect, so find out exactly what you'll need to pay for to make the experience happen, and how much you will need to keep you going.

Internships:

Internships are often taken during the summer breaks from studying, although they are also being know as year long placements now too. They offer the chance to do graduate work, and you will likely be given a specific project to work on during your time there, and are usually for large, sometimes multinational companies who take on multiple interns each year.

Very good things to get involved in, internships will give you a chance to improve on many skills, and they often pay a good salary; the same as a entry level staff member so perhaps £12,000 p.a. or more.

You can gain the kinds of skills that employers love on these kinds of placements, and you'll get to network like crazy! Internships are also a main recruiting source for company's graduate training programmes, so they can be a foot in the door, and you may end up in employment straight after completing your course.

Employers will often take on students in their penultimate year, but you can also apply for internships after you graduate. They do look for more than just good grades though; they like team workers and go-getters more often than not, so make sure you are pro-active with them, and highlight your skills across all areas.

University careers services or local careers centres are a good place to start when looking into internships. If there is a particular company that you are interested in then check out their website for further info in the first instance then perhaps contact them directly with your application. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time though, internships are popular - especially with the big companies, and the later you leave it, the more unlikely you are to get a place.

Also be prepared for the hard sell - these positions are so prized that they can be harder to get than a permanent job! Expect multiple stages of tests and interviews.

Sandwich Placements:

Sandwich placements are usually a year long in length and are part of your degree course. These days the terms sandwich placements and internships go hand in hand.

They usually take place between the second and final years and offer the chance to gain paid work experience. 

You university will help you arrange a placement, and often have a database of companies that they have ongoing relationships with that take on students. The work you will do is almost always relevant to your course; applying what you are learning to a real life work context.

If there is a specific company that you want to work with the university will likely support your placement application.  It does add a year to your degree, but you do get paid for your time, and as with internships, it can lead to a permanent job when your degree is complete; up to 70% of recruiters (according to some sources) offer permanent graduate positions to some of their best placement students each year. Graduate employers place a high premium on students that have done placements, and the majority of students say they have found the experience very valuable.

Often even if your course does not involve a year out in industry, if you are keen to do so, your university may allow you to do it.

Work Placement:

Placement agencies can help find you a suitable position. They aim to match students to placements that will interest them in terms of the work involved, and also help to find placements for specific time lengths; anything from a week to a year.

Using agencies takes the hassle out of finding a placement as they will do most of the hard work. Using mainly your CV they create a profile of you, which they check against a database of potential employers to find a match. Don't expect to get through without any work on your part, they get you as far as an interview, then it's in your hands.

Work Shadowing:

Work shadowing basically involves 'shadowing' an employee or several employees for a short period of time - anything from a day to a week. This allows you to get an idea of what a particular job involves and you can get first hand experience of workloads and pressures. These kinds of placements offer an insight into specific jobs, giving you a feel for a role and letting you find out whether it is what you expected and if it would be something you would want to do.

Many companies are happy to have students visit and see how they work, especially smaller companies.  Don't expect any kind of pay though.

A valuable insight into your chosen career, these kinds of placements also show future employers how committed you are to this area of work.

Voluntary Work:

Voluntary work can either be done abroad (see International Work Experience) or here in the UK, the only thing that is for certain is that it is unpaid work.  You can go full-out and travel to a third world country to offer aid, but if you'd like to take part in voluntary work but don't want to give up all your time and travel across the world, then there are many ways closer to home where you can make a difference.

Your local community will most definitely be looking for volunteers to help across the area. Feeding the homeless, spending time with the elderly, supporting disabled students, conservation work; these are just a few examples.

If you have a hobby or love perhaps you can combine the two - for example if you are an animal lover you might want to give up a couple of hours a week to help out at a local shelter; the options are endless.

Most volunteer jobs don't need skills, but if they do they usually offer the training you need for free, and future employers look favourably on people that have done this kind of work.