Ha! This brings back memories for me. I did work experience at a BMW showroom, thought I would love it but hated the whole experience – really stuffy office, ultra-quiet, boring admin work. My second stint was at a nursery – lots of responsibility, mega-busy, great fun and hugely rewarding.
In my experience the BMW showroom were just happy to have an extra pair of hands to do the dogsbody work. Whereas the nursery really truly valued your contribution.
Work experience should stimulate the senses, be purposeful and help develop skills, not matter how short the experience. Real opportunities need to exist, challenges need to be set. You don’t get that making tea and doing admin.
Work Experience has received some rotten press lately – what do you learn stacking shelves at your local supermarket ? Let me answer that question. You learn to get out of bed, travel to where you work, arrive on time, and do what is asked of you, day after day….in other words, you experience the Dicipline of Work. That is what will get you to an interview on time for a real job, and a ” reliable timekeeper” recommendation on a reference is worth its weight in gold.
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