Work experience???

Question

Hi i am 14 from west london in year 10 and i will be doing work experience this april for two weeks but im not entirely sure where i can do this.I am aware that i live very near the west end oxford street...can you please tell me if you know anything about this.thank you

Answer 1

Hi Edward.  Your school should be helping you with this, shouldn't they?  There's nothing wrong with you doing a bit of finding out for yourself but I don't honestly believe you should be arranging anything on your own.  Can you just check with your school, OK?

So, let's think about your work experience.  Obviously, it is most useful to you if you can get some experience in the sort of job you think you might like to do eventually.  You probably won't be able to do that exact job during work experience but you might be able to get into the type of industry that interests you.  Do you know yet what you might want to do for a living?

There are lots of different strengths you might have or might be able to acquire that make some jobs more suitable than others.  When you know which type of work you might want to try, think about which companies might have jobs of that type.    I'd think hard before aiming for a company that is too far from where you live - commuting is bad enough when you are in a well paid job.  You will have pay for yourself.

It would be a very good idea to talk to your school before actually contacting any firms for a placement.  The school may already have contacts or may help you to compose a letter that presents you well and gets results.  They will almost certainly want to ensure that your work experience is appropriate to you.  Good luck.  I hope you find something that is rewarding and is informative about the world of work.