Why is work experience important?

Work experience has come a long way over the last decade or so. Gone are the days where you would spend your time doing menial tasks, like stamping envelopes, making tea, or taking messages.

Your work experience can be an excellent training ground to prepare you for the world of employment. It's a great chance to see if you like the industry you’re interested in and get a head start over the competition in the job application stage because of your hands-on experience.

In this article, we review how you can find work experience, why it’s an important decision to consider and show you how to set out work experience on your CV.

Read more: What you need to know about changing careers

Why is work experience important?

Work experience is time spent in a workplace learning about a company, career sector, or specific job role. As such, work experience offers you an excellent hands-on training experience, that will add relevant experience to your CV that future interviewers can take on board when considering your job application with them.

Most work experience is unpaid but some opportunities will enable you to earn a salary.

Below we have listed 8 work experience benefits:

• If you have no or limited employment history, work experience gives you something beneficial to add to your CV. 
• You are likely to have a successful job search with experience under your belt.
• You can get a good understanding of an industry by spending some time working in that field before fully committing to it as a career.
• Work experience shows motivation, passion, and commitment.
• You can be gently introduced to the world of work.
• A great way to identify your skills and highlight areas of improvement.
• There is always a chance your work experience company will hire you.
• Proves an excellent networking opportunity with industry professionals.

Read more: How to stand out from others in your job search

How to find work experience

So, you are convinced of the idea that work experience is a great benefit to you and your career development – how do you actually get started?

In the UK we are fortunate to have a wide range of work experience options. The first step is to figure out what kind of job and industry you would like to work in. When you have an idea of what you would like to do, you can then start searching for companies to reach out to.

Below, we have outlined a step-by-step plan to help you find companies to speak to about work experience opportunities:

• Use your connections - This includes family, friends, and neighbours. If you know someone that works somewhere of interest to you, ask them if they can contact their HR department on your behalf.
• Search directly - If you already know of an organisation that interests you, try searching for their contact details online and send them an application letter and a copy of your CV.
• Look for employers in your local area - Spend time on their website to see if they will be a good fit for you and your career goals.
• Use job boards - Use job boards like Reed to find employers in your local area. You might also find adverts for their current work experience roles, which is a bonus!
• Explore further afield - Are you willing to travel? Large towns and cities centres are always a good option to expand your opportunities but think about your potential commute time and travel costs.

Read more: How to find work experience

What is considered professional work experience?

Professional work experience refers to any experience you have working in a professional environment, which can include all full-time paid employment, unpaid work, internships, and apprenticeships.

Read more: 5 benefits of apprenticeships

How to set out work experience on a CV

Before continuing with this article, it may be useful to review some of our CV advice articles, including how to write a CV,  what should be included in your first CV?, and 5 things to avoid in your CV, which are full of tips to help you create a great CV.

Below is a summary of what you can include in your CV and how to structure your CV correctly.

What to include in your CV?

As a minimum, your CV should include the following sections:

• Contact Information
• Personal Statement/Personal Profile
• Work Experience (including work experience, apprenticeships, and any voluntary work you’ve done)
• Education
• Skills

If you really want to make a good impression, you should also consider adding information for the following categories:

• Professional certifications
• Hobbies and interests
• Extra-curricular activities
• Languages
• Volunteering
• Projects
• Publications
• Awards

How to structure your CV

• Section 1 - Contact Information
• Section 2 - Personal Statement/Profile
• Section 3 - Work Experience & Volunteering
• Section 4 – Education & Professional certifications
• Section 5 - Skills
• Section 6 – Languages, Hobbies, Awards, Extra-curricular activities, Projects, Publications

How can work experience be beneficial to career planning

Without relevant work experience, it can be difficult to be considered for job roles you’re considering, especially in competitive roles or during competitive times, as we faced during the global pandemic, where many people lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

Work experience will give you the skills required to do the job you are interested in, adds experience to your CV and shows your potential employers that you can work in a professional environment like theirs.

There are many other benefits to be gained from carrying out work experience, including:

• Getting to try out your career choice before fully committing to it.
• Finding out exactly what’s involved in a job to see if it’s for you.
• Learning new skills and building on your existing skills.
• Meeting new people and growing your professional network of contacts.
• Boosting your confidence in the workplace and around others.
• Getting into a regular work routine, especially if you’ve been out of work or are new to working.
• Showing employers what you can achieve. This way they can consider you when a job becomes available.

If you would like to find out more about how e-Careers can help you on your work experience or apprentice journey, contact our Apprentice Support team on +44 (0) 20 3800 0144, and we can talk you through the best options for your situation.

Alternatively, if you would like to consider studying from home online or via a Virtual Classroom to gain the skills and knowledge for a career in your chosen field, contact our Course Consultants on +44 (0) 20 3198 7700, and we will be happy to talk you through our range of options.

Explore our full range of training courses and qualifications.