STUDENT WORK EXPERIENCE STORY

Virtual Work experience Student Story

Year 1 student Laura has recently completed a Virtual Work experience placement with Dunreay Site Restoration Ltd, courtesy of Speakers 4 Schools programme. Here she shares her experience.

How did I hear about my work

experience? Well, it’s simple and will be for you as well if you are looking for one. My progress coach told me about Speakers for Schools and to sign up so you can find work experience. I registered for email notifications and saw about this work experience, in the nuclear reactor sector, which is in my interest. I clicked on the work experience and there I have found information about this work experience, the dates, skills you can get what they are doing etc.

How to apply?

If you want to apply for work experience it’s very easy and should not take you too long. You would need to do the pre-application if you haven’t done this before as once you have answered some of their questions like if you have done work experience before, your interest skills and couple more questions, this is then saved for you to use again for other opportunities. After this, you will do your application which here again is very easy. They will ask you questions, such as, why you want to have this work experience. For me, I only answer one question. Then you can send your application and you're done. Easy right? It is a very quick easy process.

Once the application is complete.

Then you will need to wait for your teacher to review your application and you cross your fingers you get it. I have personally only applied for two work experiences with Speakers for School and on the second go I got it!

What can you gain from an online experience?

I didn't think online work experience would be that great, I was proved wrong. These experiences are really good and you still learn a lot. My company tried to give us the most of it. I have received a pack which was delivered to college for me to do all the activities we have done. I was able to make notes to prepare and gain the information I would need during my 4 days of work experience.

What took place during the sessions?

They are really friendly online and will give you the information you need about the activities before starting. I was then in the breakout room to have a group and work in a team on a project, with a budget to build a nuclear waste building. We had to make a decision after we had been given the information. We were having the same experience as them when they did the same project.

What did you learn from the experience?

I have learned a lot from budgeting, environment issues, engineering, CV writing and more. One time we even had to build our project with materials that they sent to us all by post, so we can even have fun and see each other's ideas or having the staff to do a competition between them on this project and which one was better and I came third with my building!

What would your overall review of the placement be?

Overall, work experiences are really useful and helpful to build skills or learning more about a job or section of your interest. This would as well be really helpful for me in the future as I will be able to use this skill I have learned but not only. I will be able to show my interest in the subject I am doing and to show my interest in the place I want to apply like university later. This will make you stand out from other people so you should completely try to apply for work experience as you will always gain something from it.

To find a work expereince opportunity visit Speakers 4 Schools HERE