Work Experience INFORMATION PACK 2019
Contents Work Experience Planning Timetables Page 3 Work Experience for Year 12 Students Page 4 A General Guide to Work Experience Page 5/6 Work Experience Procedures Page 7 Example of Work Experience Form Page 8/9 2
Work Experience Planning Timetable It is important to carry out the actions by the deadlines that are given. Use this sheet for reference to assist you with planning your placement. Key Dates: 1 st 5 th July 2019 (mandatory work experience week for all students) 8 th 12 th July 2019 (mandatory work experience week for all students not completing DofE) 15 th 19 th July 2019 (additional week available for students studying double/triple BTEC Health & Social Care or BTEC Engineering who need additional hours) Date Task Action 19 th November 2019 Students attend work experience assembly Use the information to make an informed choice Ongoing Ongoing 25 th January 2019 (Deadline date) 1 st 5 th July 2019 8 th 12 th July 2019 15 th 19 th July 2019 Take advice from parents and tutors Fill in work experience placement form as soon as placement secured All placements to be Health and Safety checked and confirmed Mandatory work experience week for all students Mandatory work experience week for all students not completing DofE Additional week available for students studying double/triple BTEC Health & Social Care or BTEC Engineering who need additional hours Act upon advice and make enquires with companies yourself Return form to Mrs Monaghan Documentation should be with Mrs Monaghan Phone calls to be made by Mrs Monaghan and work experience log book completed 3
Work Experience for Year 12 Students Each year students are given the opportunity to experience the world of work through spending a period of time with an employer. We encourage students to take ownership of organising their own work experience placement. Their own choice of placement will give: An insight into the world of work. Opportunity to experience a particular career interest that fits into career planning. Experience of working amongst adults. Opportunities to develop transferable skills confidence, communication, innovation, risk-taking, organisation etc. Valuable information to support UCAS or job applications at the end of Year 13. See below for calendar of important dates. 19 th November 2018 Assembly to students introducing work experience programme and procedure Students to discuss possibilities with family, tutors, Sixth Form Team, Careers Advisor and to start to contact placements ongoing Completed work experience placement forms returned to school DEADLINE 25 th January 2019 Enclosed is a work experience placement form for completion, additional copies can be found on the school website under the Sixth Form tab. As soon as a placement is confirmed, please return the completed form to Mrs Monaghan. One form needs to be completed for each different placement. The guidance we have given to students is that they should choose a worthwhile placement that they can travel to with ease, either independently or with family assistance. Spending a week or two weeks with an employer where the student is in existing paid part-time employment is discouraged. Any queries please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Monaghan. 4
A General Guide to Work Experience In today s tough jobs market, work experience is more important than ever. The benefits of work experience are many; something that looks good on a CV, while also giving you real, practical skills that will serve you well as you break into the career in which you may be interested. Getting started Perhaps the hardest part of getting a work experience placement is securing it in the first place. Popular placements such as theatres, museums, publishers and retailers get requests for work experience almost every day. The Managing Editor of the Mail on Sunday, receives on average an application about once a fortnight. The Managing Editor of ITV News gets a few every week and even more around the summer. They range from secondary pupils with a vague interest in the industry, to school leavers wanting find out what roles there might be in television; to university graduates hoping to take the first step in a career. Therefore, you have to try to be ahead of the pack. Make sure you apply in plenty of time, don t email the week before you want the placement. Ideally you should be looking up to at least 6 months in advance. Writing the covering email and sending your CV When making contact to request a work experience placement do not just throw out general requests, target people or departments and then follow up with an email or phone call. Show that you know something about the company, and why you d like to work with them. It is crucial to make sure you know the name of the person you are emailing. Getting this wrong or not including a name will immediately scupper your chances. Make sure you write to a named individual, preferably someone important, and get their name and job title correct. Telephone first to check if necessary. Once you have found and checked the name of the recipient, you need to compose the email which acts as a covering letter. This is your chance to show off your skills, and prove that you can convey relevant and useful information in a concise, easy-to-read manner. The covering letter/email should show that you know something about the company. If possible you should show a personal interest and knowledge in the organisation. Ideally you need to demonstrate why they should invest their time in you. Take the time to tweak each email slightly, giving it a personal touch that shows you understand each company that you are applying to. Anything that might make them consider you over others is worth including. However, it is vital to show an interest in the company, as opposed to just saying we have to do two weeks as part of my course so I wondered if I could come to you'". There are a number of things that may make a company consider accepting a request; if they think that you might one day work for that company; if you have made a big effort with the application; if you have a good reason for applying; if your application looks good and shows evidence of useful activity outside academic subjects such as sport, hobbies, other work experience etc. 5
After you have applied, it is a good idea to contact the recipient again if you do not hear back. They may appreciate your drive. Do not be afraid to follow your email up with a phone call. This shows just how determined you are and that you are confident on the telephone. Balance must be maintained though. Harassing someone with constant emails and phone calls could damage your chances. Getting ready Once you have secured a placement, make sure that you are familiar with where the company is and how long it will take to get there in the mornings you don t want to be late on your first day! Another issue is what to wear; ask beforehand, but if unsure, opt for business wear. Make sure you have some money to get lunch, or take a snack so you have something to eat in case there is no canteen. The first day Be punctual and then be appreciative of the fact you are there. Accommodating a student is a commitment of both time and resources and another thing for everyone to deal with on top of their normal work load. Do not show indifference to being on the placement you are guaranteed to lose the goodwill of the people you are working with. Be interested and ask questions. Make sure that if necessary you introduce yourself to everyone you are going to be working with. Do not be afraid to ask questions, as no one will expect you to know exactly what to do, and it is much better to ask and be sure than to do something wrong. But do not ask questions that could be answered by a quick Google search. If you are given a small task that you finish quickly, let the person in charge of you know and ask if they have anything else they need doing. Be prepared to act on your own initiative. Saying goodbye As time passes, you might find yourself given larger and more important tasks to work on. If you are working on something big, hopefully they will involve you and ask for your input. Contributions will be noticed by the team. You should be keen and willing to learn, have lots of ideas and not be afraid to get stuck in. As your time there draws to a close, a nice gesture like buying the office some biscuits or chocolates can be surprisingly effective! Having people in the industry remember you as an appreciative person can come back to help you, months or years down the line. A helpful list of dos and don'ts Do: Make your email relevant and brief. Be punctual. Late is clearly bad - but turning up too early can be too. Be interested and ask questions. Write a thank you letter afterwards. 6
Don't: Sit around looking bored, checking your phone, Facebook etc. Show indifference to being on the placement you are guaranteed to lose the goodwill of the people you're working with. Complain about anything. Do not just sit quietly. You have to be confident enough to ask questions and communicate. Ask questions that could be answered by a quick Google search. Work Experience Procedures Below are the answers to frequently asked questions regarding work experience. Placements need to be confirmed by Monday 25 th January 2019 at the latest if you find a placement earlier please complete forms and hand in to Mrs Monaghan. How long is work experience? Two weeks for students who are not participating in the Duke of Edinburgh expedition, from the 1 st July 12 th July 2019, and one week for students participating in the Duke of Edinburgh expedition, from 1 st July 5 th July 2019. There is an additional week from 15 th July 19 th July where students completing double/triple BTEC Health and Social Care or BTEC Engineering can complete further days if required. How do I find a placement? Ask family and friends. Choose a placement that is of interest to you and that will support future job or UCAS application. You will need to telephone and find out about placements; often the employer will wish to meet you beforehand. It is not acceptable to just fill in a form with details of a placement without confirmation of acceptance from the employer (i.e. a letter or an email). What is the procedure? When you have found and confirmed your placement, fill in the work experience placement form, have your parents sign it and return this to Mrs Monaghan (you should take a copy for your information). The information will be entered onto the schools database and health and safety forms will be issued to the placement. Once these have been returned and are satisfactory, your placement can be authorised. Please complete one form for each different placement that you secure. What happens if I cannot find a placement? Mrs Monaghan, Ms Sherry and Mrs Harrod will be able to help. 7
SIXTH FORM WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT FORM 2019 Student Name: Tutor Group: Please complete one form for each placement you secure Dates of Placement (please tick) Name of Organisation 1 st July 5 th July 2019 (mandatory week for all students) 8 th July 12 th July 2019 (mandatory week for all students not completing DofE) 15 th July 19 th July 2019 (additional week available for students studying double/triple BTEC Health & Social Care or BTEC Engineering who need additional hours please tick days) Mon 15 th July Tues 16 th July Weds 17 th July Thurs 18 th July Fri 19 th July Contact Name Contact Position Contact Email Contact Number Placement Address Nature of Placement: Describe the type of placement you are taking and how this will benefit your career path Student Consent: I agree to participate in the work experience scheme. I will obey all safety, security and other instructions given by the placement. Signature of Student: Date: 8
Parent/Guardian Consent: As a parent/guardian of the above student, I confirm that I understand the nature of the placement arranged and am willing for my child to participate in work experience with the above named organisation for the agreed period of time. I understand it is a condition of the scheme that the students shall not receive payment. I further understand that my child will not be entitled to the benefit of the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act in the event of an accident whilst taking part in this scheme. There is no known medical/health reason why he/she cannot participate in the work experience scheme. Signature of Parent/Guardian: Print Name: Date: 9