HOW WORK EXPERIENCE SOLIDIFIED MY CAREER DECISION

Work experience can be hugely valuable to students and young people for a number of reasons, and the College encourages students to look for opportunities whenever they can.

Here are five top benefits of undertaking work experience:

1. Many employers require applicants to have relevant work experience, so it could help your CV and your interview if you have have had some.

2. Actively seeking and going on work experience says a lot about your dedication to your future. It demonstrates to employers or universities that you have a real interest in the field you're applying for, and that you are passionate about pursuing your ambitions.

3. Reading up about the career path you are interested in can be helpful, but there is no replacement for physically working in that environment. Having the opportunity to see what it is really like could help you to decide whether it is going to be right for you or not.

4. Alternatively, if you're not sure what you would like to do, gaining work experience in a few different industries could help you to decide. Or at least help you to decide what you don't want to do!

5. You may build up contacts that are useful to you later. While you may not be offered a job after a week of work experience at a company, you will have gained some contacts that you can reach out to in the future, after you have completed further training, for example.

Aleena Abbas, an upper sixth student who is taking English Literature and a BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Applied Science, recently undertook work experience at the Heath Hospital. She spoke to us about her time there and how she found it beneficial.

"I was always interested in becoming a radiographer, and so in order to gain more knowledge about the radiography field I decided to undertake some work experience with the University Hospital of Wales for two days.

During this time I gained more insight into the sort of work that radiographers do. I visited all the different radiography departments including fluoroscopy, General(X-rays), A and E, MRI, CT and ultrasounds. Ultrasounds was the most interesting because I got to sit in a few baby scans.

I really enjoyed my work experience and it solidified in my mind that radiography was the best career option for me."