Work experience

When you did work experience in yr 10 as most schools do were you offered to go to the place of your choice?? My sis asked to work in a chemist but they put her in an office in the airport! I would really love to do my work experience in a GP or dental practice so what do you lot think. Find my own private place or let school do it??
Btw- most medical places where my sis asked said they are not insured for under 16s and so she couldn't go...

Reply 1

LH

15

Year 10 WE doesn't matter much. You can do more relevant/interesting WE later.

Reply 2

mrjos

I would recommend attempting to find the work experience placement yourself. In the end you are in the best position to find something you like and are probably more likely to have the time and effort for it than someone who has to find places for 50-60 other people.

If you're into medical kind of placements, you may also want to look at vetinary clinics, although it's not strictly the same it would still be much better experience than working in an office or in retail.

Reply 3

Kicky

2

I had to find my work experience placement myself as all of the ones that the school offered were either in offices or miles away from my house. If you want to do something to do with medicine you could also try working with elderly people or working at a school or nursery-anything with people is good.

Reply 4

theepw

14

Yea, as someone already said yr 10 WE does not matter that much at all.
Especially if it turns out to be experience in which you have absolutely no interest on doing.

I remember wanting to do experience at a veterinary centre... but instead the school ended up offering me a week at a solicitors... turned out to be one of the worst weeks of my life!!!

Later on in the lower sixth, once I realised what I wanted to do, I arranged my own work experience myself at a hospital Pharmacy... turned out that I really enjoyed it.

As long as the type of experience is what you want to do, then go ahead with it, it will be a good experience. But if you are placed at a location or job that you have no interest dont bother, I was put off law for life :smile:

Reply 5

*Princess*

OP

"But if you are placed at a location or job that you have no interest dont bother, I was put off law for life"
Lol i never looked at it that way- seeing whether u would hate a job rather than liking it

Reply 6

Legend22

2

I am doing my work experience in a library. *yawn* But I am looking forward to it because it is 2 weeks off school. I am doing mine in October, by then I will be in year 11, so my school does theirs a bit later than others. I hope it boosts my confidence, and if I like it then I can have a p/time job there, which isnt a bad thing.

Reply 7

undiscovered

13

I chose to do it in a pre-school playgroup. It was crap.

Reply 8

burned_out_58

1

*Princess*

When you did work experience in yr 10 as most schools do were you offered to go to the place of your choice?? My sis asked to work in a chemist but they put her in an office in the airport! I would really love to do my work experience in a GP or dental practice so what do you lot think. Find my own private place or let school do it??
Btw- most medical places where my sis asked said they are not insured for under 16s and so she couldn't go...

If you REALLY want to do it an medical surgery organise it yourself, well in advance, it is difficult and time consuming.

Reply 9

sazhutton

My school didn't bother sorting out anything for us.
I applied to some ballet schools, but they all closed for the summer before my work experience time started.
So, I worked in a dance shop throughout the first two weeks of august. I spent two weeks mopping up.
I really don't think work experience matters at all.

Reply 10

Mata

16

I went on holiday instead of doing work experience.

If you want to do something very specific (e.g. being a vet) then getting a post in a vet's would help. But don't trust your school to do it for you, they can be weird.

Alternatively, wait until you're in 6th form and to work experience then. I have friends who (as they're over 16 now) are doind w.e. in hospitals, fashion houses, etc. Plus you can organise it all yourself.

Reply 11

Champagne Breakfast

16

*Princess*

When you did work experience in yr 10 as most schools do were you offered to go to the place of your choice?? My sis asked to work in a chemist but they put her in an office in the airport! I would really love to do my work experience in a GP or dental practice so what do you lot think. Find my own private place or let school do it??
Btw- most medical places where my sis asked said they are not insured for under 16s and so she couldn't go...

Avoid school-organised WE like the plague. I've only heard bad reports about school-organised WE, but all the people who did their own (including me) had no complaints.

Reply 12

Champagne Breakfast

16

Question - if you got a first in an Oxbridge degree (say) but had no work experience, would employers still be after you? Or would they rather a 2.1 who had relevant work experience?

Reply 13

Champagne Breakfast

16

sazhutton

My school didn't bother sorting out anything for us.
I applied to some ballet schools, but they all closed for the summer before my work experience time started.
So, I worked in a dance shop throughout the first two weeks of august. I spent two weeks mopping up.
I really don't think work experience matters at all.

I was under the impression that WE counted for a lot nowadays in terms of getting into top unis and getting good jobs afterwards?

Reply 14

LH

15

The Ace is Back

I was under the impression that WE counted for a lot nowadays in terms of getting into top unis and getting good jobs afterwards?

But you can do more WE/internships at university during the summer.

Reply 15

jaso55

I went to a car garage on my work experience the first time and it was good but found that it wasnt for me. I remember wanting to work in a video shop but they couldnt as they had to have staff over 25. But there will always be places that dont accept ppl for work experience

Reply 16

HmmmInteresting

In our school, to do WE associated with medicine, you ticked a box on a form
...Unfortunately, only 2 of the most academic students are allowed because of limited places. GP practices, and anything that's primary care, won't allow 15/16yr olds to do WE (confidentiality reasons). Your best bet is to try your to get a hospital, if not, I was recommended to do something care-related. Eg. Write to a Nursing home (if you can hack it) or something with children.
Hope that's helped :smile:

Reply 17

garethDT

13

I don't think it really matter what you do as even if it's something you're interested in they still probably won't trust you enough to give you any proper work to do.

I'd say just go for something easy in a shop and there may be a good chance of being offered a part-time job or even getting paid for w/e!

Reply 18

MarcD

12

Oh definitely go for self-placement (sort out the work experience yourself), our school uses Careers Wales, and they made a complete hash of things with some people's work experiences, I went for self-placement and managed to get myself a placement at Ubisoft in Surrey! It was an excellent experience and was in the field that I was interested in.

Self-placement is also not just beneficial in the sense that it gives you the chance to choose EXACTLY what you want, but it also means the oppurtunity to experience other factors of life, such as searching round for the work, and speaking to places on the phone about doing said work.

Hope that helps :smile:

Work experience

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