Why Work Experience is Worth it

My name is Elizabeth. I’m a student doing my A Levels in Chippenham in History, French and English literature, and for three days I did my work experience at Scott Media in Journalism and PR. Almost all personal statement advice will in some way allude to doing work experience – getting it sorted, showing your passion and commitment to your subjects through a potential career. This is incredibly relevant to myself as a year 12 student, and as a result was constantly being shoved in my face. When I reached out to Fiona Scott and secured a work experience placement at with her, I thought that was me sorted. I didn’t worry about what the actual week would entail. But what I have discovered during my three days at Scott Media surprised me more than I thought.

Time is valuable
One of the biggest things I learnt was that time is the most important currency. It was plastered everywhere. I think I heard it spoken at least three times. It’s been practically drilled into me at this point. But it’s true. You need to dedicate your time to the things that are important and worthwhile for you. You need to be able to stand up for yourself in the world of work. You need to understand that your assets are valuable, and that your uniqueness is what makes your perspective relevant. If other people don’t recognise that, they’re not your people.

Networking is about more than just business
This one was the most surprising to me, but networking can actually be fun. As part of my work experience, I went to an event in Cirencester and was immediately surprised with the informal nature of it all. In reality networking is just a bunch of small business owners in a room trying to get to know more about each other. It’s less about selling your business and products and more about having a connection with someone that could eventually begin a working relationship – even if that’s just by recommending their services to someone else. I thought it was going to be people in posh suits trying to encourage me to get a mortgage I didn’t need. But as a sixteen year old with no business cards – no business even - they were all absolutely lovely. I found it really refreshing how many genuine adult conversations I had, where they actually wanted to hear my opinion or just chat, instead of asking about university. I spend so much time stressing about that anyway, and it was nice to get away from it all.

Give it your best go
Most importantly, actually try. It’s amazing how far some common sense, proactivity and hard work will go. If you prove yourself to be an individual that is willing to put the effort in to do things properly, not only will it make the experience more rewarding for yourself, but also it looks good to the people you’re working with. As a result, they are more likely to give you a decent reference if you ever need it. You are only going to get out what you put into work experience, or anything else in that life. And if you do it right, it could really open some doors for you.

My best advice for people looking to do valuable work experience and get the most from it is:

1. Get it sorted sooner rather than later. By the time your school tell you to start looking, it will be too late. This is particularly the case with medicinal or veterinary placements.
2. Make sure you have your kit sorted. Whether that’s a computer, appropriate clothing, or just a packed lunch.
3. Think outside the box for potential opportunities, and look outside your subject choices. There are a lot of really good careers out there that value exposure and visibility almost as much as good grades. 

*Picture shows the Scott Media team with some of Scott Media's clients. Elizabeth is second from the right.