Unpaid work experience, where you work for an employer unpaid for a specified period of time, has many advantages and also many different aspects to it.
First of all, the circumstances in which you do your work experience will depend on under whose authority you have been asked to carry it out. You may be doing two or three weeks at a local business as part of your school or college course. You might have left school or college and organised your own placement as a way of gaining some experience and making new contacts. You might want to spend the summer in a business before going to university, just for the experience.
Unpaid work experience should focus on the experience and not the lack of a monetary reward. In any case, some companies might even appreciate the value of your contribution and pay you a nominal sum at the end and/or provide you with travel expenses. If you are very fortunate, you might even be offered a full-time job if the company recognises your skills and talents.
Whatever reason you are doing work experience, it can offer many advantages in opening up new career options. Your two or weeks at the company might be the first time you have ever been in an office environment. So you will have a lot to learn and to absorb. You can do this by listening, observing and mirroring the language, behaviour and temperament of those around you.
Try to work in different departments if possible, ensuring that you get involved in some teamwork activities as well as carrying out work on your own. Ask for some small projects, as this will show initiative and commitment and a desire to get things done. Also ask for help, as a problem shared really is a problem halved, especially when you are just embarking on a working career and hoping to learn new skills.
You will probably have a mentor. Hopefully he/she will give you regular feedback, maybe even at the end of each working day. Listen to this feedback carefully, act on it the next day if possible and ask questions about how you can improve. Show that you have the interests of the company at heart and that you want to work for them. Make sure you have a meeting with the company before you start your work experience. This will help clarify what you are going to be doing there and who you are working with. For this latter aspect, face-to-face is always going to be better than email contact or telephone calls.
The benefits to be gained from unpaid work experience are many and varied. You are getting the chance to showcase your natural talents, initiative and skills. You can demonstrate ability – or at least a willingness – to interact with other people in a professional environment.
This may be one of the most important aspects of your work placement, and one opportunity that you really cannot afford to miss.