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No Work Experience! Advice please?

Hi there! :smile:

I've noticed that mostly students do work experience through school.

However, my school (for some peculiar reason) does not offer work experience (through school).

What can I do to get work experience without school's guidance?

Thanks in advance! :hello:

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 1
Avatar for BKS
BKS
19
Volunteering, not quite the same but without business contacts it' your best bet. Do you have a volunteer centre near you? Or pick some charities you like and look at their website or if smaller local ones just give them an email with what you could offer.


If you/your parents/someone you know has contacts within an industry you'd be interested in then see if they can get you some sort of placement over a holiday but it's less likely.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 2
Avatar for biofrance
biofrance
OP
17
Original post by BKS
Yes, volunteering, not quite the same but without business contacts it' your best bet. Do you have a volunteer centre near you? Or pick some charities you like and look at their website or if smaller local ones just give them an email with what you could offer.


Since I'm doing Duke of Edinburgh, I will need to do some volunteering anyway, so that will come in handy. I'm not sure what kind of volunteering to do though.

Perhaps I will work in a charity shop as there are several where I live, but I don't see how a charity shop would help you gain experience...?

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Reply 3
Avatar for BKS
BKS
19
Original post by sophie !
Since I'm doing Duke of Edinburgh, I will need to do some volunteering anyway, so that will come in handy. I'm not sure what kind of volunteering to do though.

Perhaps I will work in a charity shop as there are several where I live, but I don't see how a charity shop would help you gain experience...?

Posted from TSR Mobile


Edited as you replied so look at my previous one again.


What is your motivate for wanting the experience? be as specific as possible
Reply 4
Avatar for biofrance
biofrance
OP
17
Original post by BKS
Edited as you replied so look at my previous one again.


What is your motivate for wanting the experience? be as specific as possible


Okay, I've read it now. :smile:

What do you mean?

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Reply 5
Avatar for BKS
BKS
19
Original post by sophie !
Okay, I've read it now. :smile:

What do you mean?

Posted from TSR Mobile


I assumed you just want experience for the sake of experience, something for your CV. But when you said you're not sure of he benefit of a charity shop I thought you have a specific career in mind? Or you want to work in an office? Or you want to gain a particular skill?


The type of volunteering you can do are endless so you need to consider first what you want to get out of it (nobody volunteers entirely self-lessly which is fine) and second what you can offer then use that to identify where to look.
Reply 6
Avatar for biofrance
biofrance
OP
17
Original post by BKS
I assumed you just want experience for the sake of experience, something for your CV. But when you said you're not sure of he benefit of a charity shop I thought you have a specific career in mind? Or you want to work in an office? Or you want to gain a particular skill?


The type of volunteering you can do are endless so you need to consider first what you want to get out of it (nobody volunteers entirely self-lessly which is fine) and second what you can offer then use that to identify where to look.


You were right, I just want work experience to say I've got work experience on my CV, but how could a charity shop look good on any CV (unless you want to set up your own charity or work at a charity shop as a career, which I don't think I want to do)?

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by sophie !
You were right, I just want work experience to say I've got work experience on my CV, but how could a charity shop look good on any CV (unless you want to set up your own charity or work at a charity shop as a career, which I don't think I want to do)?

Posted from TSR Mobile


Well you will gain experience there and either way have something to write about on your CV

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by sophie !
You were right, I just want work experience to say I've got work experience on my CV, but how could a charity shop look good on any CV (unless you want to set up your own charity or work at a charity shop as a career, which I don't think I want to do)?

Posted from TSR Mobile


Work experience in a charity shop shows that you can think of others rather than yourself. It gets you to deal with the general public who can be an obnoxious bunch at the best of times. It shows that you can give as well as receive and it also puts into perspective a lot of things that we take for granted such as good health, a decent standard of living; clean water, democracy; social and economic inequity - and much more.
Reply 9
Avatar for BKS
BKS
19
Original post by sophie !
You were right, I just want work experience to say I've got work experience on my CV, but how could a charity shop look good on any CV (unless you want to set up your own charity or work at a charity shop as a career, which I don't think I want to do)?

Posted from TSR Mobile


First, charity shops are far from the only sort of volunteering.

But if you did go for one, something on your CV is always better than nothing. It at least shows you can get out of bed, turn up, try to be productive and continue to do so week after week- some people really don't do well with that. If I were recruiting for a simple office job and had to choose between two school leavers, I'd take one with charity shop experience over no experience at all. The one with charity shop experience would at least have a real idea of what it's like to work.

Customer service skills are transferable to any working with people. Retail experience will help you get a retail job which you might find useful if you go to college/uni and need extra income.

You might find through the charity you get opportunities to do wider stuff, like the Red Cross it putting a lot of effort into involving young volunteer because the average age of their volunteers was getting way too high in the past (they need a younger generation ready to come in and take on roles when the older ones get too old). They have various conferences and training things which is good for the CV and broader skills.
Reply 10
Avatar for biofrance
biofrance
OP
17
Okay, that's a good point. Thank you!

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by sophie !
Since I'm doing Duke of Edinburgh, I will need to do some volunteering anyway, so that will come in handy. I'm not sure what kind of volunteering to do though.

Perhaps I will work in a charity shop as there are several where I live, but I don't see how a charity shop would help you gain experience...?

Posted from TSR Mobile


All major charities need fundraisers. I help out the British Red Cross with theirs, and have done with the Alzheimer's society, for example.
There are also other large organisations such as the police and NHS that do volunteer schemes.
Reply 12
Avatar for biofrance
biofrance
OP
17
Original post by hellodave5
All major charities need fundraisers. I help out the British Red Cross with theirs, and have done with the Alzheimer's society, for example.
There are also other large organisations such as the police and NHS that do volunteer schemes.


I see, but is it that easy to become a volunteer for a big charity?

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by sophie !
I see, but is it that easy to become a volunteer for a big charity?

Posted from TSR Mobile


For charities it is fairly easy, if you know how. Get the contact details of a charity fundraiser that is responsible for your community, and say that you are happy to help support them.
For the large organisations such as the police and NHS, this is much more difficult.
Reply 14
Avatar for biofrance
biofrance
OP
17
Original post by hellodave5
For charities it is fairly easy, if you know how. Get the contact details of a charity fundraiser that is responsible for your community, and say that you are happy to help support them.
For the large organisations such as the police and NHS, this is much more difficult.


Sorry for the late reply, but thank you for this advice! :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by biofrance
Hi there! :smile:

I've noticed that mostly students do work experience through school.

However, my school (for some peculiar reason) does not offer work experience (through school).

What can I do to get work experience without school's guidance?

Thanks in advance! :hello:

Posted from TSR Mobile

What you want a job do you want to get into in the future? Make sure you try and volunteer in that area of work that interests you it will help massively. I struggled to find work, Then I thought let me volunteer and show them how hard and good I can work. I volunteered at a nursery. Within a week the manager called me offering me a job as an apprentice best day ever. As one of the staff members reffered me. But yes volunteer and show them how hard you can work. And it will noticed.
Its also very good to build up your cv! And to get a good reference at the end

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