During the holidays or as part of a sandwich degree, hands on experience is all important...

Work placements

Work experience is offered by most large organisations and opportunities are advertised at different times of the year.

• Look at our section on company profiles to see examples of organisations to approach.
  
• Company websites will advertise placements and tell you when and how to apply.
  
• You will need to decide which position to apply for – though this will be informed by your area of study – make sure it is relevant and useful.
  
• Contact organisations even if not advertising placements - try to get the name of the person you need to contact and ask about opportunities.

Case Study: BBC

• Placements are available in just about every area across the UK.
• Placements are unpaid and can last anything from a few days to four weeks.
• The BBC receives in excess of 20,000 applications each year, so it is very important to think carefully about why you are applying and be able to demonstrate a keen interest in the placement.
• Set up your own account which allows you to complete applications more easily and check on the status of your application.
• Apply for work experience placements up to 6 months in advance.
• Set up personalised alerts for work experience placements up to 12 months in advance.

CV

• Your CV will be used by employers to decide it you are suitable.
• It should contain the following: personal and contact info; education and qualifications; work history (if any); skills relevant to the job; interests; references (at least one should be academic).
• Remember to detail any ICT skills.
• Covering letter (see article on covering letters)
• This should be fairly brief.
• Explain what you are applying for and why you would be good at the role.
• Explain why you are applying to that particular organisation.

Preparation

• Do plenty of this – find out as much as you can about the organisation.
• Look at their website – get an idea of the size of the company, its culture, make sure you know what it does, see if there are any significant event/articles in its recent history (see article on interviews).

Benefits

• Chance to find out more about a career you’re considering.
• Practical experience and an opportunity to speak to those already doing it.
• Better chance of standing out when applying for courses and jobs.
• Opportunity to pick up some contacts, learn on the job, and make a good impression.
• Placements are often unpaid but relevant experience is highly valuable.

Key Facts

• Think about what you want to do.
• It's probably best to do something connected with your degree.
• Use your initiative: pick up the phone if you cannot find online contact details.

Useful links:

Prospects
The National Council for Work Experience