Work Placements, Internships & Work Experience

Regardless of how much you think you have learned about your chosen career from your studies you will learn so much information and acquire so many skills from a work placement. You can never be really clued up on what a job entails until you have been working practically in that role.

Increasingly employers are looking for people with practical experience as well as academic achievements. Work placements offer the perfect opportunity to gain this kind of experience whilst still studying. An employer seeing any work placements on your CV will be more likely to consider you for the position.

In higher education there is an option of doing a sandwich course where your studies will be 'sandwiched' around a work placement which often last a full year. This kind of course is ideal for matching academic learning with hands on experience on the job.

Your ability to work in a team and with your colleagues around you is essential in every type of job. In a work environment this involves a different set of skills and challenges that you will be used to at school, college or university.

A work placement will allow you to gain experience of this first hand and develop you own teamwork and interpersonal skills which will make you a more rounded and attractive candidate for any employer.

The additional skills and knowledge gained during a work placement can often be directly applied to your studies and applied correctly can lead to better grades. This in turn will help you progress to the next stage of your career path more effectively.