Cambridge application but no work experience

My situation is basically that I'm planning on applying to Cambridge, Bristol and Imperial in September. But at this moment in time I have no work experience and I'm unlikely to be able to get any in time for the application deadline. So my question is how important is work experience for engineering, in particular to the universities mentioned above? And if anyone does engineering at these universities, how much work experience did you have when you applied?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Reply 1

Isabobble

I'm probably not qualified to give advice about engineering, but I'd suggest applying for work experience anyway, and if you get a good placement, write on your P.S. that you "have been accepted for a placement at ______ in date which will add valuable practical skills to your academic strengths" or something like that. Just a suggestion :smile:

as this is the advice we were given by our college.

Reply 2

doivid

I'm in the first year of college and hoping to go to Oxford to study law. I managed to get work experience (called 'shadowing' in my college :/ ) with a barrister for a week. If you wanted to go to these universities then you really should have realised the importance of work experience(/shadowing).

What other evidence have you got that you are interested in engineering to put on your application (have you entered any competitions, gone to any lectures etc)?
If you want to greatly increase your chances I would suggest trying to get experience anywhere, just so can put this on your application.

Assuming you have got good grades 'extra' experience/interest in your subject, engineering, needs to be put on the application.

Reply 3

bluenoxid

Because two people who don't do engineering have posted I thought I would add

You're going to fail pathetically

Now lets get back to the realistic s***. Due to the nature of engineering there is very little you can do that can help you. Most of the environments we work in are dangerous and if you are in an office you are not going to learn that much.

Many companies are going down the pan with reduced workloads so they really don't have time or money for frivolous activities such as work experience and after the fury in new civil Engineer about graduates working for free, I don't fancy your charges. A healthy interest and knowledge of some of the current issues will help you. Did you think about doing Headstart.

Bristol and Imperial are not going to be shocked and Cambridge is so weird that your place will probably be decided on a carrots mating rituals or something like that.

Reply 4

*Examboy*

Apply for a deferred entry and try find a year in industry...

Reply 5

Tink12

as long as you can make up for it in other areas you might be ok.

Reply 6

SuperNinja09

I did look at headstart but I found out about it too late. As for YINI, if there is little hope of me getting into the universities I want to go to then I would consider defering entry, but it's not something I particularly want to do unless I have to. Especially since I'll hopefully be doing a lot of work experience in the holidays once I start university anyway.

Reply 7

Richiboi

As bluexnox said, there really isnt much you can do. Firms are laying off qualified staff, so what makes anyone think that taking anyone on for a short period of time without any actual knowledge is going to be of benefit to them. They'd probably just give you some token activity to do anyway; AFAIK, not many people bother getting engineering work experience before they start learning the subject.

Reply 8

SuperNinja09

Thanks for the advice everyone. It's much appreciated and has definitely helped to put my mind at ease. If anyone else has anything to add, please feel welcome.

Reply 9

danidanidani91

Like people have said, getting valuable engineering work experience is pretty much impossible unless you have family/friends in a business that can help you. Universities know this and so dont require you to have work experience, even the top ones- I got into Oxford, Bristol, Warwick, Durham and Cardiff with nothing (actually I did do a headstart course but thats all) so it really isnt that important!

Reply 10

Beccajh

Ask at your school's career library if you have one. I did and luckily they had the details of a local, small civil engineering company who were quite willing to take me on for a week's work experience. It's worth a try.
Previously I had tried e-mailing various engineering companies and they either ignored me or one sent me an e-mail referring me to the 'apply for a job' page so they blatantly hadn't even bothered reading my e-mail.
The work experience I did was useful in finding out what engineers did just to check I wasn't going to waste the next 4 years of my life and also with my uni application as it was mentioned at most of my interviews.

Reply 11

kwyu

I applied last year and I managed to get five offers, including Cambridge, without any work experience (I did EESE though). Of course it's terrific if you can get some sort of experience but don't worry too much about not having any.