According to聽the dictionary:聽work experience聽(/w蓹藧k/聽/瑟k藞sp瑟蓹r瑟蓹ns,蓻k藞sp瑟蓹r瑟蓹ns/)聽鈥撀燼聽short-term experience of employment, typically arranged for older pupils by schools.聽BUT, according to most high-school students:聽work experience聽(/help/聽/me/)聽-聽a stressful thing which聽one has聽to find, organise and聽spend聽a week doing.
Whether you view it as a great opportunity, a week off school or the worst thing to happen聽since the death of Blockbuster movie stores, let me assure you that work experience is聽vital.聽When else will you have a week to try out any job you can imagine, potentially changing your study or life plan dramatically?! Fun fact, I wanted to be a doctor until I spent a week in a gastro ward for my Year 10 work experience. I shortly realised that blood and pus were NOT my cup of tea.聽
Arguably the hardest part of work experience is聽finding a place to do it.聽Luckily, I鈥檓 here to give you some ideas聽about where to聽look which you mightn鈥檛 have previously considered!聽
1. Your personal network聽
Does one of your friends鈥櫬爉ums聽have聽the聽coolest聽job ever? Do you have an awesome neighbour who works at an interesting company聽or聽organisation? Why not ask them if they can help you to organise work experience聽at their office? It might not be possible for insurance/legal reasons but it鈥檚 worth a try.聽
2. Work experience programs聽
There are SO MANY work experience programs run by organisations and companies around Australia. From 国产精品 Civil聽Engineering to the Sydney Cricket Ground, there is a program聽for everyone. Just google 鈥渨ork experience program聽**(insert job you are interested聽in)**鈥澛燼nd I promise you won鈥檛 be disappointed聽with the search results.聽
3. Job search sites聽
Websites like聽Indeed聽and聽Jora聽are a great way to find a聽huge聽range of work experience opportunities. Literally just type in 鈥渨ork experience high school鈥 and you聽will聽be inundated聽with opportunities at companies you didn鈥檛 even know existed.聽
4. Careers advisor聽
Your careers advisor is there to help and will probably have some connections which they can use聽to help you find a workplace that interests you.聽So, if聽you鈥檙e struggling to find anything, book in an appointment and get some聽help.聽That鈥檚 what they鈥檙e there for!聽
5. Op shop/volunteer centre聽
Volunteering at an op shop or charity for a week can be a great way to broaden your perspective on the world and聽give back to your community. You can either visit some local聽op shop聽or try聽contacting聽a charity you鈥檙e interested in. Just be sure to check-in with your school that this type of work experience is allowed.聽
6. Future casual job聽
Whilst聽my friends and I聽were stressing about getting work experience at a hospital or CSIRO, one of my friends walked to her local shops and got聽an unpaid聽position聽with a florist for a week. At聽the end of the week, she was offered a casual position and worked there throughout high school.聽If you鈥檙e interested in a particular casual job, this could be a great way to break into the industry.聽
7. Your parents聽or guardians
Nepotism often gets a bad聽rap,聽but parents聽and聽guardians are there to help鈥o why not use them? Whether you鈥檙e interested in learning about what your parents do on a daily basis or you can see yourself pursuing a similar field, ask if you can work at their office.聽
It鈥檚 important to remember that there are laws surrounding work experience which can make it hard for employers to take students onboard. Whilst disappointing, the company might be able to connect you聽with聽other opportunities聽and you鈥檒l build your skills and networks聽up聽along the way!聽
Good luck and we鈥檇 LOVE to know what work experience you end up聽finding! Email us at聽wiec@unsw.edu.au聽with your work experience!聽