The true value of work experience is not always appreciated, writes PETER MCGUIRE

RIGHT NOW, thousands of young people are scouring the land for valued work placements. While they are obliged to undertake work experience, the recent closure of many businesses means that getting in the door will be harder than ever.

Eilis Coakley, president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, teaches at Rosses Community School in Dunloe, Co Donegal. “In previous recessions, second-level students had more difficulty securing work experience,” she says. “It is possible that this year’s students will find the same.” The search for work experience should begin and end with the pupil.

Local businesses, family, friends, and other contacts may be able to provide advice or a placement. The key point of work experience is not, as commonly believed, to discover your future career. “It’s all about giving students an insight into the world of work,” Coakley explains.

“This includes working with other people, experiencing the timetable of a work environment, and dealing with the public. The skills learned are much broader than the type of work experience itself.”

Coakley suggests that students with a fixed idea of their future career can consider work shadowing instead of work experience. An aspiring chef may be allowed shadow the work in a café kitchen; a veterinarian-to-be might enquire if they could shadow the work of the local vet, or a Garda hopeful might follow the work of Ireland’s police force for a few days.

“Work shadowing is about observing. Of course, in some cases it’s not possible due to confidentiality or insurance reasons. If a student comes along, willing and open with a particular employer, it can often lead to useful tasks during the shadowing.”

With many companies struggling to stay afloat, taking on an inexperienced teen might not seem like the wisest idea. Mark Fielding, president of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME), disagrees: “In general, work experience is seen as a positive action by employers. Employers who have a negative view of work experience tend to have had poor experiences with students in the past.”

In itself, the difficulty that some students may have in securing a work placement is a valuable life lesson: sometimes, the ups and downs of life and the state of the economy can make it hard to find a job. For the first time in well over a decade, students will be competing against the peers and friends for work placements – just like in the real world.

So how can they stand out to potential employers?

“Being professional, earnest and honest with the prospective employer from the start is key to gaining profitable work experience,” Fielding states. “Students should approach business owners with a broad understanding of the company in which they wish to work and show an interest in these areas. Students who are presentable, enthusiastic and who have a basic knowledge of the industry or company stand a significant advantage in getting work experience placements.”

ONCE IN THE door, students should aim to wring the maximum benefit from their work experience. The students should state exactly what they are looking for at the initial interview and ideally seek experience at different tasks. But as Fielding points out, sometimes making the coffee is the most important duty available at that time in a company: “If someone can’t make the coffee without complaint or making a mess of it, how can they be expected to complete a more difficult task?”

Coakley agrees, and states that a student with a positive attitude to the work will gain more from it. “The reality is that a lot of work – even jobs that people love – can be boring or monotonous. Routine is inevitably involved. Students shouldn’t go in with a fixed idea of what to expect, but if they have a good attitude, more interesting work will come their way.

“They may not have a huge amount of saleable skills, but students do have youth and energy on their side. Even for a week, that can be a huge benefit to an organisation. Both sides should take advantage of it in the best possible way.”

Work experience

Arup Engineering

With offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Limerick, Arup Engineering has a limited number of work experience placements. Students can email or post their CV to the human resources department, outlining in which location and on what dates they would like to work.

Tel: 01 233 4455 for more

University College Cork

Interested in a science career? Some university laboratories, such as those at UCC, offer a limited number of work experience placements. Students should contact the individual department (e.g. microbiology, biochemistry) directly to enquire.

Tel: 021 490 3000

TV3

RTÉ is inundated with work experience applications every year, so why not try another media outlet? TV3 will accept CVs from students. Email orla.ohanlon@tv3.ie for more