How did you find work experience?

It's so hard to and I just want to know how you guys seem to find more than one W.E let alone a lot?

Please share

I had a right hard time find the work experience I needed whilst in college, I needed to do a 6 week placement in the animal industry as part of my course but it seemed every where I called up wasn't willing to take on people for work experience because they didn't have the right insurance or because I would be a hassle. A lot of them were very rude.
Luckily I hit luckily and managed to get a 6 week placement at a kennels and cattery though but it took me ages to find it. I'm not sure what other work sectors are like for work experience but the animal industry really is difficult, in my area at least.

I didn't even have an email back then! It was over ten years ago (yeesh, I am OLD) and we didn't get a computer until I was in sixth form.

I think an email is easier to disregard than a paper letter, and the fact that you've put that bit more effort into sending it shows, I think people respond well to that. I didn't like to call busy doctors in the middle of their clinics or ward rounds, and I didn't want to be fended off by grumpy receptionists. It's also easier to find an address than a phone number.

I think that was just the way it was done Back In The Day, but it may well be outdated advice now. I arranged my elective by email, that was more recent.

Whereabouts in the country are you? My current dentist in Bath is fantastic - I don't know whether he takes work experience students, but I imagine he'd be really interesting to shadow.

Year 11 work experience- my Mum suggested a few places, I wrote some covering letters explaining I was required to do work experience and what skills I could offer (touch typing in my case) and bam I got two weeks work experience.

Year 12 work experience- wanted something Political so I wrote to a few MP's asking if they would offer work experience and got a reply from one.

Year 13- my Mum got me this one- she knew someone in an agency who she often dealt with who agreed to have me for a week.

Gap Year- after no luck getting a temp admin job- handed in my CV to a couple of agencies and basically got told that someone my age & in my position wasn't going to get a job through them so I looked at voluntary work for charities. Took a lot of perserverance, all the big ones I'd heard of were advertising what were essentially 'graduate' volunteering positions with specific emphasis on marketing or fundraising rather than general admin help. I'm Jewish and my Aunt suggested I try the Jewish charities, contacted several, got a positive reply from one and then found another website advertising a vacancy for a faith relations charity. Both were fairly small and I'd never heard of either initially.

Second Year of Uni- Didn't get so much as a reply from any of the think tanks I applied to for summer internships so looked to volunteering again. Found a website advertising vacancies, narrowed it down to admin in the search and found one that looked perfect, emailed and got a reply straight away.

I've also done some admin work experience in the office at the school my Mum works at however I have absolutley no contacts doing anything Political.

That's exactly what's happening with me! I have been calling EVERY WHERE but people seem to be so rude! I just wish I can find a frigging dental practice. I'm willing to travel miles for this.

Ohh, see I'm just calling people up because whenever I email them they NEVER reply. And when I do call them up they're so rude it's unbelievable.

I'm in north london but I'm willing to travel miles If you would ask him it would be nice

It's so hard to and I just want to know how you guys seem to find more than one W.E let alone a lot?

Please share

You wrote cover letters? How did you send them, was it by post? And why didn't you just call them up?

It is horrible how rude they can be, is this work experience you're looking for a mandatory part of a course or is it more free will? If it's not mandatory it does take the pressure off having to find a place so quick.

When looking for work experience, think about what area you want to do work experience in first, then get in touch with companies etc in your area and ask if they would consider letting you do work experience there.

can't see your other post to comment on for some reason but have you been sending a CV and covering letter when you email? that might be part of the problem as if they don't have enough information to make a judgement they won't bother chasing you up. best method is to email then if you haven't heard straight away ring and say did you see my email, it has all my information on it.

No it's compulsory. Like dentist is one of the most competitive courses along with medicine. It's ridiculous how hard it is to get exp.

Yeah I've done that. It's harder than it sounds unfortunately.

Yeah I did that trust me. I don't even think they hardly check it. But I've gave up and now I'm going to continue to call them up. If this doesn't work then I don't know what I'll do after

Maybe go into a dentists reception if you can.

Haha, it's funny because I did that too