Applying to work experience

Work experience is important, especially now as most sectors are fully open again, and can be a great way to help you decide what industry and areas you want to work in or continue your education in. It can be overwhelming as you have to do this at quite a young age and you may have no idea what you want to do in the future. This is completely normal! The whole point of work experience is to give you an idea of what a week or a few weeks in that job is like, and to help you decide. It’s almost better to go in with no idea what you want to do and an open mind! 

But how do you get work experience? You will need a CV or application of some kind. Companies that run specific work experience programs may have their own application system that consists of written answers to a questionnaire or some form of aptitude tests or even interviews. A lot of companies take on work experience students even if they may not advertise it, and the best way to find out is simply to send a polite email to their head of HR with a CV attached. Generally, most students find themselves having to apply to a lot of companies for work experience before getting one, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t hear back or get rejected - it's all part of the process.

So what goes on your CV? A CV is a concise statement of what you have achieved professionally, the skills you have developed, any job experience you have, qualifications etc. - essentially, anything that you want to show off to a future employer. Try and keep your CV as short as possible, aim to keep it under one A4 page, as the more concise and easy to read it is, the better it will be for recruiters and employers to read. If you are applying to various industries and sectors, maybe having a few different forms of your CV highlighting different attributes is best as you can then display different skills. A cover letter is also a good idea if approaching people for the first time; it is a short letter (or can be an email) where you simply outline why you want the position, what skills you have that are relevant and why you are passionate about it. It's a great introduction to yourself when someone first reads your email. 

Work experience is shouldn't just be something you do so you can add it to your CV, it should also be something you do for yourself - a lot of schools make getting at least one week of work experience compulsory, but this is to help you start thinking about your future, not just so you have something to show off. It is therefore important that you choose industries and companies you are actually interested in, and not just do it for the sake of it. Work experience can also be great fun - it's a way to branch out, meet new people, and experience a week in someone else’s life!