ABZ WORKS

Your route to skills, training and work.

Work Experience

Work Experience

Participating in a work experience placement is a fantastic opportunity to experience the reality of working life and is particularly useful if you have no, or limited experience of the workplace, or if it has been some time since you last had a job.

Work experience allows you to test your skills by working on tasks in a real work setting. There are so many benefits including giving you the opportunity to build confidence, learn and develop new skills, meet new people, and it will look great on your CV.

You never know, if you make a good impression it could even lead to a job opportunity – show them what you can do!

Who is it for?

Work experience is for everyone, not just for school pupils. Whether you’ve been out of work for a while, never had a job, are looking to move into a new sector, or want to refresh your workplace skills and build your CV and references, work experience provides great opportunities for you.

The Benefits of Work Experience

Work experience allows you to:

  • Find out about specific industries, organisational cultures and job roles which will help you make an informed choice about your future career choices.
  • Learn social and communication skills, be aware of how to present yourself and behave in a work context through real experience working with others.
  • Build your confidence and motivation through positive experiences of the world of work.
  • Get an understanding of the structure and reality of working life, and an opportunity to learn about recruitment processes.
  • Develop skills, including those required in specific jobs and sectors.
  • Get yourself some up to date experience to put on your CV so that when you apply for jobs, you will have recent examples to speak about in interviews – this will make you more employable in the future!

What You Need to Know Before you Start

Ensure that you know the following:

  • Where to go and when to be there.
  • How you are going to get to work.
  • How to dress for the job.
  • How to behave when at work.

Final advice!

  • To make a good impression with your employer you need to arrive on time every day. If something comes up and you are delayed or cannot attend, it is important that you let them know with as much notice as possible.
  • Think about what you will be doing and why – this should help you to do a good job.
  • You may discover when on your work experience that this is not the area of work for you, that’s ok! This will help inform your career choices going forward, however you should aim to see the placement through to the end as there will always be some transferrable skills you can learn that will be useful for the future.
  • If there are things you don’t understand, ask or write down some questions for your supervisor so that you don’t forget. There is no such thing as a silly question! You will be a fresh pair of eyes to the organisation and might spot areas where things could be improved or made easier to understand.
  • Be positive about your work experience placement and the opportunities it provides.

Contact

If you are a pupil at an Aberdeen City Council school, please contact your guidance teacher about work experience placements.

If you are aged 16-67 and not in employment, education, or training, please email abzworks@aberdeencity.gov.uk

FAQ

How do I do work experience through my school?
If you are at school and in S4, S5, S6 you can talk to your Guidance Teacher who will arrange it for you.
How do I talk to someone about work experience?
If you are at school and in S4, S5, S6 you can talk to your Guidance Teacher who will arrange it for you.
If you are an adult wanting to do work experience, please talk to your Employability Key Worker or email us at workexperience@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Will someone pay for my bus fares and for PPE for work experience?
This will depend on your individual circumstances.
How many days will I do on work experience?
This can vary and it might be 1 week at a time or a couple of mornings or afternoons a week.
Will I get to choose where I do my work experience?
No you may not be able to choose the employer but you may be able to provide a list of options or preferences. Work experience is about developing a range of skills, including communication skills and teamwork skills and not just industry-specific skills.
There are also some restrictions at the moment due to the pandemic.Contact us at workexperience@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Where is the application for work experience?
Contact us at workexperience@aberdeencity.gov.uk
I want to refer someone for work experience. Where is the application for work experience?
Contact us at workexperience@aberdeencity.gov.uk