3 key work experience tips
Over the last month we've seen a few students come and go on work experience placements, and to be honest, some of them have stood out more than others. It can be difficult to make a good impression when you have little to no experience of the working world, and a lot of the advice found online only goes through some very basic principles ("turn up on time" - no way?!). In this post I'll go through three tips that might not be as obvious to help you on your work experience placement.
I currently work at an independent specialist college as a learning support assistant (LSA). We support adults with complex and profound learning difficulties and disabilities in an educational setting. There are two sites, one that is set in a 'typical' small college building where there are classes such as independence, skills for life, and pottery, and the other is a working farm which teaches both small and large animal care, and horticulture. A lot of our students need one-to-one support due to their needs, so LSA's are assigned a learner to support on a particular day each week.
I've been working there for almost five months and I'm still learning and getting settled into my role, so I can't imagine how challenging it must be if you're fourteen and have no previous experience in anything related to being an LSA. In my last job on the pizza counter at Tesco, I trained a woman to do my job in the space of a five hour shift. You couldn't do that where I work now, so you can't really expect people to pick up the role and be able to support by the end of the week, but there are certain expectations about how you will behave and approach the experience, and I think these can be applied no matter where you go.
1. Don't be permanently attached to your phone. It just doesn't set a good first impression. Be interested in what's around you, talk to people, ask questions - but don't sit and stare into your phone, especially when you're supposed to be working!
2. At break times and dinner, try to sit with a group. This is easier said than done sometimes, but if you've been placed into a friendly work place then it hopefully won't feel too awkward to approach a group of strangers! Join in with conversations going on around you - it can be hard if you're on the quieter side like I am, but if you make an effort to build friendships early on it will help you to feel more confident and comfortable on your placement.
3. If you've been asked to do a job, have a go, and ask for help if you need it. For example, in a small animal care group I prompted one of the students on work experience to ask one of the learners to prepare some veggies to feed the guinea pigs - she walked up to the learner, looked at her, and expected her to understand what she wanted her to do without saying anything. Once they'd gotten into the kitchen, again, the volunteer said nothing and left the learner to her own devices. Even if you feel silly or like a complete newbie, just have a go when you're asked (even better if you have a go without needing to be asked). There will always be people around to help if you aren't sure, and making a mistake is much better than doing nothing at all.
The best thing about work experience is that it only lasts for a week, so it's a great opportunity to pick up a bit of knowledge and see if it's the kind of place that you could imagine yourself being in the future, without pressure. If you enjoy it (or even if you don't), it might help you to decide what courses to go on to study or where to apply to work once you've left school. It gives you ideas about your strengths and what weaknesses you could improve. It's a fantastic way to pick up all sorts of skills and experiences that will benefit you later on. So have fun and make the most of it!
I currently work at an independent specialist college as a learning support assistant (LSA). We support adults with complex and profound learning difficulties and disabilities in an educational setting. There are two sites, one that is set in a 'typical' small college building where there are classes such as independence, skills for life, and pottery, and the other is a working farm which teaches both small and large animal care, and horticulture. A lot of our students need one-to-one support due to their needs, so LSA's are assigned a learner to support on a particular day each week.
I've been working there for almost five months and I'm still learning and getting settled into my role, so I can't imagine how challenging it must be if you're fourteen and have no previous experience in anything related to being an LSA. In my last job on the pizza counter at Tesco, I trained a woman to do my job in the space of a five hour shift. You couldn't do that where I work now, so you can't really expect people to pick up the role and be able to support by the end of the week, but there are certain expectations about how you will behave and approach the experience, and I think these can be applied no matter where you go.
1. Don't be permanently attached to your phone. It just doesn't set a good first impression. Be interested in what's around you, talk to people, ask questions - but don't sit and stare into your phone, especially when you're supposed to be working!
2. At break times and dinner, try to sit with a group. This is easier said than done sometimes, but if you've been placed into a friendly work place then it hopefully won't feel too awkward to approach a group of strangers! Join in with conversations going on around you - it can be hard if you're on the quieter side like I am, but if you make an effort to build friendships early on it will help you to feel more confident and comfortable on your placement.
3. If you've been asked to do a job, have a go, and ask for help if you need it. For example, in a small animal care group I prompted one of the students on work experience to ask one of the learners to prepare some veggies to feed the guinea pigs - she walked up to the learner, looked at her, and expected her to understand what she wanted her to do without saying anything. Once they'd gotten into the kitchen, again, the volunteer said nothing and left the learner to her own devices. Even if you feel silly or like a complete newbie, just have a go when you're asked (even better if you have a go without needing to be asked). There will always be people around to help if you aren't sure, and making a mistake is much better than doing nothing at all.
The best thing about work experience is that it only lasts for a week, so it's a great opportunity to pick up a bit of knowledge and see if it's the kind of place that you could imagine yourself being in the future, without pressure. If you enjoy it (or even if you don't), it might help you to decide what courses to go on to study or where to apply to work once you've left school. It gives you ideas about your strengths and what weaknesses you could improve. It's a fantastic way to pick up all sorts of skills and experiences that will benefit you later on. So have fun and make the most of it!
Image from Death to the Stock Photo.
Comments
Post a Comment