WORK EXPERIENCE: PAVING A CAREER PATH

Work experience is crucial to getting a head start in job seeking and starting a career. That’s why career teachers across the region work hard to find supportive employers to offer term-time work experience opportunities for as many senior school students as possible. 

With summer just around the corner, school holidays are another opportunity to gain valuable job experience. Parents and carers understand the value of having work skills to add to a CV, so many actively search out holiday jobs for their teenagers. Having a job also helps with understanding the value of money, a greatly underestimated quality.

Work experience is invaluable for school pupils, university students, and anyone looking to find their first job. The workplace is fast-changing, and there is a significant shift towards employers prioritising candidates who demonstrate a practical ability to perform a job. 

Transferable skills and valuable insight

Remember that you won’t enjoy every instance of work experience, but that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. It’s helpful to have the chance to try out an industry or a job, even if it’s just to rule it out when you realise it’s not suited to you as a career. Treat a work experience arranged through school or a paid summer job as a test run – a taster!

Whether you love or hate your work experience, it will definitely build your character and give you some transferable skills, such as workplace communications, teamwork, and time management.

Wider benefits of work experience

Alongside developing skills and insight, getting a summer job or taking up a work placement brings other benefits. These include building contacts, demonstrating your independence or initiative, and perhaps finding out if you are good at a job!

If an employer sees you perform well, they may offer you a job when you finish school or your studies.

Finding work experience

If you are a school student in the Liverpool City Region, you could benefit from the groundbreaking Equalex pilot programme. This programme guarantees 10 days’ work experience for every child in industries including Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Creative, and Health and Life Sciences.

In any school, your careers teacher will have contacts at local businesses who are happy to offer school pupils work experience placements. It’s pretty usual for schools to reach out to parents who run businesses to ask if they will offer placements.

Summer opportunities

If you want to use the summer to gain some work experience and earn some money, here are some ideas:

Seasonal work at festivals and events: Music festivals and other events hire staff for roles including stewarding, parking, and bar work. They often do this through employment agencies like HAP, so they do some research and register as candidates ahead of time. Plus, you get the perk of attending an exciting event!

Temporary work: Many shops, cafes, and tourist attractions take on additional staff during summer. Across the Liverpool City Region, this could include attractions like Knowsley Safari and venues like The Beatles Story in The Royal Albert Dock.

Informal and entrepreneurial: By offering your services as a babysitter or car washer, you’d be taking responsibility and showing commitment. If you are artistic, you could make some items to sell at a local fair or set yourself up online. If you were at the top of your class in GCSEs or A-levels, then tutoring others could bolster your communication skills and bank balance!

Summer internships. Start your search with the word internship and see what comes up! Some firms, like Bright Network, specialise in graduate recruitment and routinely have internships in sectors from engineering to IT. Whether as part of your degree or as a stand-alone opportunity, firms use internships as a recruitment tool for future jobs. LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor are just some of the sites to take a look at.

Points to remember

Before jumping into a paid summer role, there are a few things to remember. Most employers will require a permit to employ you if you (or your child) are between 13 and school-leaving age. This applies across the region and lays out the hours children are permitted to work. Your local city council is the permit provider and can tell you more.

Make sure you are receiving the national minimum wage for your age. For students, part-time earnings below set thresholds may not require tax or NI contributions, but it’s always best to check with HMRC.

Parents and undergraduates

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schoolchildren need opportunities to catch up on their social skill development, as this can lead to lower earning potential in later life. Parents can do their children a favour by encouraging them to dip their toes into the world of work.

Meanwhile, if you are an undergraduate, there is every chance you are Gen Z. Compared to previous generations, your career aspirations are probably more value-driven. If you feel an employer must be right for you as much as you are for them, getting different work experiences will help to identify the type of companies you want to work for.

This summer and academic year, take the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow. The experience is sure to help shape your future career.