There are many benefits in undertaking a period of work experience, such as:

Developing your employability skills

Develop the employability skills that employers are looking for and improve your employment opportunities. Remember, a degree alone may not be enough. The 'employability skills' resources section of this website has useful pointers on the type of transferable skills employers are looking for.

Have you had to use your communication skills? Had to prioritise your work?
Worked in a team? Worked under pressure? Find out more about employability

Experiencing your career ideas

Use work experience to gain a valuable insight into a career or company you are interested in and see if it really is for you. For example, undertaking a work placement with a marketing company will give you the opportunity to find out if you really are interested in/suited to a career in marketing.

In some instances work experience is essential for entry into some careers e.g. teaching, law, psychologist, etc. and it is vital, therefore, that you undertake some sort of work experience to be able to progress into these occupations.

Networking

Establish contacts whilst doing your work experience - you may be able to use these later; if not for a job, they may still provide a good work based reference. Not all graduate jobs are advertised on the open market - many blue chip firms offer graduate jobs to students who have undertaken work experience with them and shown the skills and commitment they are looking for.

Earning some money!

Some work experience opportunities are paid, although this does depend on the sort of work experience you undertake.

Improving applications and interviews

Having completed a period of work experience will help you with answering application and interview questions such as 'Tell us about a time when you had to influence people' and 'How well do you work in a team?'

Travel opportunities

Opportunities exist to travel abroad. This not only provides you with a good opportunity to develop skills but also enables you to experience working and living in a different country.

>>Issues to consider when doing work experience