In some industries, finding a permanent job without first gaining some work experience may be virtually impossible.
People need to find a way to get a foot in the door, and this may come in the form of work experience or internships. We’re exploring some of the top work experience ideas in this guide as well as exploring some of the different ways these placements might work. Some of them may even be a way to earn some money as well as getting a foot in the door.
Types of Work Experience
Work experience can be used as a conversational term, there are various opportunities for individuals to gain exposure to different industries, roles, and work environments. While the terms "internships," and "work experience placements," are often used interchangeably, but they may mean different things.
Internships
Internships are structured programs designed to provide individuals with hands-on work experience in a specific field or industry. Internships may last for a fixed duration, ranging from a few weeks to several months or longer. Summer internships, for instance, are designed to be a chance to get some work experience in between university years.
If you take on an internship, you’ll probably get the chance to engage in meaningful work assignments, projects, and tasks that allow them to apply their skills and knowledge in a real-world work setting.
There are some rules that protect you from doing free work – internships are paid if you are doing the same work as an employee. Additionally, internships often include opportunities for mentorship, networking, and professional development, and may lead to future employment opportunities with the host organisation.
Work Experience Placements
We do work experience in school in the UK, as a way to see what life in the workplace is like. A lot can change between Year 10 and the time when you want to take on some work experience in adulthood, though.
Work experience placements mean individuals spending time in a workplace environment to gain insight into various aspects of the business or industry. Work experience placements can be part of a formal education or training program, such as a school or university curriculum, or arranged independently by individuals seeking to gain practical experience.
Some degrees even have full placement years, and this may be predetermined as you are sent to a specific company to find out how they operate.
Placements may last for a shorter duration compared to internships and may focus on job shadowing, observation, and limited participation in tasks or activities. Work experience placements provide individuals with exposure to different roles, functions, and work processes within an organisation, and it is unlikely you’ll get paid for the privilege.
Where Can I Do Work Experience?
A lot of people are left wondering where they can do work experience, and the types of businesses that might be suitable for taking on some experience.
Internships remain a very popular way to get vital work experience, and some of the popular industries and opportunities for work experience are listed below:
Business Internships
Working in the world of business and commerce can be incredibly varied. A business internship may give individuals the opportunity to gain practical experience and exposure to various aspects of the business world, as varied as finance, marketing, operations, human resources, and more.
Business internships can often learn about account management, clients, and the daily running of a business, as well as aspects like networking. In big businesses, interns and people taking on work experience may help optimise business operations and logistics processes, including supply chain management, inventory control, and logistics coordination.
Tech Internships
As you may expect, a lot of the tech internships in the UK are in places like London or other hubs where there is a lot of tech innovation.
A tech internship typically involves gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of the technology industry, but it can vary depending on the company you are working with. Focus areas may include software development, IT support, data analysis, cybersecurity, and more.
Interns are exposed to real-world projects, tasks, and challenges that allow them to apply their technical skills and knowledge in a professional work environment. Depending on the specific focus of the internship and the needs of the organisation, interns may be given a really solid overview of the industry.
Some huge companies including Amazon offer the chance to carry out tech internships in the UK, and these are often paid opportunities, too.
Engineering Internships
An engineering internship gives you the opportunity to gain practical experience and exposure to various disciplines within the field.
Engineering is a broad church, meaning opportunities may include mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, and aerospace engineering, among others.
Anyone doing an internship in the industry may work alongside experienced engineers and professionals, contributing to real-world projects, tasks, and initiatives that align with the organisation's objectives and industry standards. The job may involve research and development, as well as design, and the practical elements of building and production.
Huge engineering brands including Rolls Royce are among those with internship opportunities.
Software Engineering Internships
Software Engineering and development internships are a way to help somebody with the technical skills and know-how to apply this knowledge to real-world applications. Interns may work alongside experienced developers to design, code, test, and debug software applications or components. They may contribute to the development of new features, enhancements, or bug fixes for existing software products, using programming languages and development tools relevant to whatever project they are working on.
Medical Work Experience
It is easy to see why it is so crucial to get experience in these workplaces before being entrusted with the role. People need to do shadowing or similar work experience.
On top of that, there are many different medical internships, designed to take someone from a basic level of knowledge through to a much more advanced level and prepare them for a specific job.
The NHS has a full guide to its work experience options. This is the biggest employer in the UK and it is no surprise that they have so many different methods for people to get involved, as well as such varied roles.
Civil Service Internships
In the civil service, the Summer Internship Programme (SIP) is the most common way for interns to get involved and gain some work experience.
Being a Government-run initiative, this has a lot of support as well as being fairly well-paid for those looking to get involved.
The government’s own site explains that the role could include:
- Conducting research.
- Providing project support.
- Assisting with the creation of policy documents.
- Shadowing senior civil servants.
- Attending meetings with senior advisors on major issues.
As of December 2023, there were 502,710 full-time equivalent (FTE) civil servants
This is a popular career choice and there are many opportunities for different roles within the civil service. They are particularly keen to hear from people with STEM qualifications for their internship roles, but there are other internship opportunities as well as work experience.
Law Work Experience
Securing law and legal work experience in the UK can be competitive, but with the right approach and persistence, you can increase your chances of success. Large law firms may be more likely to provide work experience opportunities for people as well as internships, and even virtual internships.
If you are studying law, then it is possible that the university may have some links to organisations who can provide work experience opportunities.
Research legal internship and placement programs offered by law firms, legal departments, government agencies, and non-profit organisations. Many organisations offer structured internship programs for law students and graduates, providing opportunities to work on real cases, projects, and transactions under the guidance of experienced lawyers.
IT Work Experience
On an IT apprenticeship, you can expect to engage in a combination of on-the-job training and academic study to develop technical skills and knowledge in various areas of information technology.
The specific tasks and responsibilities you may undertake during an IT apprenticeship can definitely alter based on the focus of the program and the needs of the host organisation. However, common areas include providing technical support to end-users by troubleshooting hardware and software issues, resolving technical problems, and assisting with IT-related inquiries and requests.
Systems administration may also be part of the role as IT apprentices and people on work experience may help and assist with the installation, configuration, and maintenance of computer systems, networks, and servers. This may include setting up user accounts, managing permissions, monitoring system performance, and implementing security protocols to ensure the reliability and security of IT infrastructure.
Work Experience Can Be Invaluable
Perhaps you are wondering “where can I do work experience?”
Finding work experience may be a challenge, and is often competitive. Big businesses with a track-record of helping people to land their dream jobs may have a queue of people applying for their work experience roles, but with a little research and the desire to learn about the company you may be able to put yourself at the head of that queue. Spend some time working with an interview coach here on Superprof to prepare yourself for the questions you may need to answer.
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