{"id":7415,"date":"2021-05-17T00:50:50","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T00:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/?p=7415"},"modified":"2021-05-17T00:51:43","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T00:51:43","slug":"how-to-choose-the-right-work-experience-opportunity-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/how-to-choose-the-right-work-experience-opportunity-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose the Right Work Experience Opportunity For You"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Work experience is a fantastic way to learn more about different career sectors and job roles and to really get a \u2018birds-eye view\u2019 on how different companies operate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Work experience is proven to be a vital stepping stone to longer-term career success, as it helps you to develop job-ready behaviours and can be a magnificent boost to your confidence in getting on in the workplace.<\/p>\n

But not all work experience is created equal, and it pays to spend some time thinking about what opportunities will offer you the best next steps. It\u2019s easy to think you should just grab onto any opportunity that comes your way, but you can – and should – think more carefully and make sure whatever experience you gain adds value to your career growth.<\/p>\n

Below are our top five tips to help determine which work experience opportunities are right for you:<\/p>\n

1. Think about what you LOVE doing!<\/strong><\/p>\n

First and foremost\u200a\u2014\u200awhat do you enjoy doing? What career plans do you have in mind? If you don\u2019t have any, what aspects of your studies are you enjoying at the moment?<\/p>\n

Having a good reflection on these thoughts will help you start building a good profile of what you want to do. Think about the skills you\u2019ve got and the skills you want to build to do the role\/s you want to pursue a career in. You can then start using this as a basis when reviewing different work experience opportunities and making sure there\u2019s a good match.<\/p>\n

2. What do you want from a potential employer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What makes an employer \u2018good\u2019 in your opinion? Think about the type of company you would like to work for and what that looks like. This can be anything, including the type of work environment you see yourself in: a traditional office or travelling around more? A creative space or something more formal? Do you want to wear a suit or thongs to the office?<\/p>\n

Thinking about this can help you make sure you seek out opportunities that match your ideals so you can keep making further decisions about your work preferences. It\u2019s something else to add to your list when thinking about where you want to do work experience and the insights it will give you.<\/p>\n

3. Do your research<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spend some time doing your own research to help you better understand and manage your own expectations for what the work experience will involve. Your research should take two things into account:<\/p>\n