The Importance of Work Experience
This piece is directed more towards University Students and perhaps some keen college/high school students that are questioning what type of career they want to dive into.
Some of you may feel a bit lost in terms of what you want to do when confronted with so many career options. Recently I read an article written by the ABC claiming that in the past 5 years, around 1 million “new jobs” were created. This was definitely an issue that I faced during my studies in Uni and hence why I chose to explore many different options.
This is why we must have work experience, in order to feel what it would be like on-the-job and see industry practices which you cannot get in the classroom/lecture hall.
Many would say, all jobs containing repetitive tasks will be replaced by technology and problem solvers/creative thinkers will be in high demand.
→ we are already seeing this change happen today…
What I’m trying to get at is: the workforce is constantly changing…
Jobs and career ambitions will continually change as you mature as a worker… so don’t get so stuck on finding the “perfect job”.
So just a little side-track before I get to the main content: work experience… When we are brainstorming career options it is important to reflect on ourselves: any career-related discussions require a lot of thought → a decision cannot simply be made overnight. A way that I like to reflect when making decisions are 5W’s 1H because it provides context and reasoning:
What, Why, Who, When Where How
Why: Why do I want to work in this field? Is it to improve my current skillsets? Is it because I’m not satisfied with my current tasks and responsibilities? Is it $$$? This is the main driver of decision making…
Who: Who am I today and Who do I need to talk to? What are my passions, inspirations, interests, and values? Who are my potential employers, what do they value?
Where: Where am I currently in the industry? What is the career progression from most junior to a senior position in this field?
What: What kind of value can I get from this job and what kind of value can I give to the company?
When: This is more of a timeline to keep yourself accountable. Action must be taken (Whether these are high-level goals or objectives that’s up to you)
How: How can I get there? What steps need to be taken? Do I need further work experience? Do I need to make more connections in the industry? Are there any friends that can refer me or tell me how they got in?
Just think about it for a moment…
As you can see, you can think all you want (and it takes a lot of effort and time) but it is still so difficult to know whether your decision is right or wrong.
This is why we need work experience. Like many experiences, we cannot hypothesize accurately about how we will feel until we have actually done it.
How many times have we been disappointed or surprised by an encounter? Perhaps it was a first meeting or a travel experience or a food adventure. We probably would have read some reviews, seen persuasive advertisements on social media or heard great things from others; but these experiences are reflections of other people and not ourselves.
Applying for Work Experience/Internships
Once you have thought about what industry or area you want to dive into, it’s time to apply for internships! There are many guides and advice already on this so I will skim over this…
- Where to look —
Family members
People you have met at previous workplaces
LinkedIn
Meetups (Events)
Society events in Uni
Pitch Competitions
Job Boards - Update Resume // Write Cover Letter expressing interest
- Research Company Well (Case Studies, Values, Pillars, Testimonies)
- Prepare responses to questions you may be asked (Interview stage)
Check this out: https://collegegrad.com/tough-interview-questions
Form mock interview groups, practice speaking in front of a mirror, do some volunteering and talk to people that you haven’t met before. - Talk to people already working in the industry and hear their stories inside their day-to-day work life for inspiration.
At the Work Experience/Internship
This is the most rewarding part of the process; after thinking where to go and passing the hiring stage. Whilst you are here, these are some things you can do:
- Observe how the company operates: Communication channels, project management, how they address challenges, company vibe, and culture.
- Make connections: Genuinely find out more about what everyone is doing and what they are working on. Discuss solutions and be proactive.
- Always think if a process can be done better
- Think about whether this job is something you would be interested in after the duration of the internship.
NB: This is a reflection of the steps I took and I am by no means an expert at recruitment … These are guidelines and suggestions that you can use or keep in mind when you start thinking about work experience.
Good luck!
