How To Get The Most Out Of Your Work Experience

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It’s about that time of year where you might find yourself signing up for some work experience - whether that’s through school, college, or something you’ve chosen to do on your own. Going into an organisation for a short amount of time can sometimes feel a little bit overwhelming, and you might find yourself second guessing things you already know, like, do I really know how to make a cup of tea?!

But don’t worry, the great thing about work experience is that it is literally what it says on the tin - it’s just experiencing work. So whilst the time you spend in your organisation, brand, or company is important and valuable for your future, you don’t have to pile the pressure on yourself to be perfect. This is a time to learn things, to see behind the scenes, to ask loads of questions, and just get to know what it would be like to work there…or not! 

So how can you make sure you get the most out of your time? Our friends at UCAS have made a handy little list of tips to follow…

First impressions count…

Whether your work experience is face to face, or done online (welcome to working from home life!) it’s important to make a good first impression with the people you’re going to be working with. Make sure you know the dress code before your first day (do you need a suit and tie or are jeans okay?) and anything else you might need (are they giving you a work laptop? Do you need an apron? What about a notepad and pen?). Don’t be afraid to ask questions before you turn up! It’s likely that you’ll have a point of contact within your team so just get in touch to be sure - this also shows you’re proactive and not afraid to ask for help when needed. If you show you’re friendly, reliable, and competent from the get-go, chances are more opportunities will come your way. And, most importantly, when it comes to the first day, make sure you’re on time! 

It starts with hello…

You’ll probably meet a lot of people in a short amount of time, so don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t always remember people’s names! But if you greet everyone with a smile and try to introduce yourself to anyone new, it’ll show that you want to be involved and part of the team. Also don’t be afraid to ask people about their roles, what they do on the daily, and how they got to where they are now. Chances are, everyone will have a different story and that just shows that there’s not one ‘right’ way to get somewhere!

Organise, organise, organise

It’s likely that someone in your team will have your work experience time fairly planned out. But that doesn’t mean you should expect to be spoon-fed every single thing the whole time. So, make sure to listen carefully to any instruction, note down important meetings, dates and/or deadlines and keep a to-do list close by to make sure you know what to get on with (and then you also get the satisfaction of crossing it off once you’ve done it!) This is also a good time to be proactive again - if there’s something you’d like to learn about the business, people you’d like to meet, meetings you’d like to sit in, or jobs you’d like to try, just ask and see if they can be put into your schedule! Get as much of the experience part of work experience as possible!

Use your voice…

Don’t be afraid to speak up! You might be a ‘newbie’, you might be ‘inexperienced’, but that doesn’t mean your thoughts and ideas aren’t valuable - or just a new perspective that your team may not have thought of. So, make suggestions, give your contributions, and don’t let your ideas sit on the back burner. And on the flip side, also don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand or need some help with something. People will appreciate that you’re willing to learn and can show your vulnerabilities!

Take the time to reflect

Make sure you set some time aside with your supervisor/point of contact during your work experience to reflect on the things you’re doing. This means you get the chance to improve on things during your time, and shows that you care about doing a good job. It’s also important to be honest and remember that your team only wants the best for you. So don’t feel like you can’t talk to whoever is in charge and give them feedback about your time too - it just means that the next person to do work experience gets the most out of their time too!

Do you have any more tips on bossing your work experience? Let us know over on Insta at @NCS!