What is work experience?
If a person has been working in his or her profession for a period of time they are regarded as an employee with experience. Having experience enhances skills development, increases knowledge, and allows you to learn the work culture of a specific field. Work experience helps young people to gain the essential experience they need to apply for jobs. For employers, hiring an experienced candidate is preferable to hiring a fresh graduate who posses theoretical knowledge but lacks effectiveness in the work place.
If a person has been working in his or her profession for a period of time they are regarded as an employee with experience. Having experience enhances skills development, increases knowledge, and allows you to learn the work culture of a specific field. Work experience helps young people to gain the essential experience they need to apply for jobs. For employers, hiring an experienced candidate is preferable to hiring a fresh graduate who posses theoretical knowledge but lacks effectiveness in the work place.
Where can you find work experience?
There are two common types of work experience: internships and volunteering.
Internships are situations whereby a graduate works as a trainee in a certain organisation or company for a set period of time. This is the perfect means for graduated students to acquire work experience.
Volunteering is the act of giving time, energy and skills to offer services in the community without any financial gain. It’s another way for graduates with little or no experience to gain work experience. Volunteering helps young people to encounter the real challenges that are faced by the community, and develop problem solving skills.
There are two common types of work experience: internships and volunteering.
Internships are situations whereby a graduate works as a trainee in a certain organisation or company for a set period of time. This is the perfect means for graduated students to acquire work experience.
Volunteering is the act of giving time, energy and skills to offer services in the community without any financial gain. It’s another way for graduates with little or no experience to gain work experience. Volunteering helps young people to encounter the real challenges that are faced by the community, and develop problem solving skills.
Benefits of work experience:
It helps you map out your career path. Gaining experience in a specific field of what you have leant in class, helps you to understand which career you want to pursue.
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It enhances your professional networking. Working in a recognised organisation will provide a room for an intern to form relationships with many professional people. By participating in meetings, seminars, and tasks you will have interactions with many different professional people. You never know such interactions could pave the way for you to find your dream job.
It will help you to build your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Building a strong CV is one an important requirement for the youth, especially fresh graduates. Work experience will provide content for writing a good Curriculum Vitae and Cover letter.
It builds professional working skills. Through your work experience, you will build personal confidence, and professional environment awareness. Work experience also develops skills such as teamwork, time management, communication, and interpersonal skills.
· It inspires and encourages you in achieving your professional goals. Going to a job every day, meeting workers, other interns, customers and professional people allows you to meet new people. It will encourage you to continue in the same line, and build courage in pursuing your dream job.
It helps you map out your career path. Gaining experience in a specific field of what you have leant in class, helps you to understand which career you want to pursue.
·
It enhances your professional networking. Working in a recognised organisation will provide a room for an intern to form relationships with many professional people. By participating in meetings, seminars, and tasks you will have interactions with many different professional people. You never know such interactions could pave the way for you to find your dream job.
It will help you to build your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Building a strong CV is one an important requirement for the youth, especially fresh graduates. Work experience will provide content for writing a good Curriculum Vitae and Cover letter.
It builds professional working skills. Through your work experience, you will build personal confidence, and professional environment awareness. Work experience also develops skills such as teamwork, time management, communication, and interpersonal skills.
· It inspires and encourages you in achieving your professional goals. Going to a job every day, meeting workers, other interns, customers and professional people allows you to meet new people. It will encourage you to continue in the same line, and build courage in pursuing your dream job.
Why is Work Experience important?
Work experience improves your efficiency and effectiveness in the work place. By hiring people with work experience, an employer can expect the employee to be knowledgeable and experienced in the work environment, and hence to carry out tasks to a high standard. This makes an organisation more competitive compared to other organisations and boosts their impact at large. Thus, work experience will improve your chances of gaining employment.
Work experience improves your efficiency and effectiveness in the work place. By hiring people with work experience, an employer can expect the employee to be knowledgeable and experienced in the work environment, and hence to carry out tasks to a high standard. This makes an organisation more competitive compared to other organisations and boosts their impact at large. Thus, work experience will improve your chances of gaining employment.