Is Work Experience Imperative to the Start of a Successful Career? 9/03/2008

Undertaking what is my second placement since beginning my PR degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, I feel it’s fair to say that nothing at university can prepare you for the world of work better than experiencing it hands on. Obtaining a degree is simply not enough any more. In the world of graduate employment a good degree is a pre-requisite and recruiters struggle to find graduates with the practical skills to go alongside a theory-based qualification.

Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters stated that ‘In addition to working hard to gain a good degree, students should obtain work experience in order to develop skills that will make them better prepared for the world of work’. For many, work experience will be misinterpreted as the taster to the working world you remember from school life. Although making tea, filling coffee cups and filing is often part of the deal, university level work experience opens your eyes to a whole host of day-to-day jobs and if taken over a few months also allows you to see a company, client or campaign develop over time.

Not only can you ‘try before you buy’, to see if a particular career path is right for you before you commit, work experience also gives you a better idea as to what motivates you, whilst building up contacts and transferable skills for future employment. Starting ‘at the bottom’ teaches you the importance of those little jobs that hold the company together whilst getting a taste of what you ultimately strive to achieve. Many graduates will walk into a job at an elevated level and are expected to be aware of all the groundwork that goes on around them, for this reason experience is vital for the success of the company.

Each individual learns in different ways, some will not take well to hands on tasks and prefer to immerse themselves in visual and auditory styles of learning, such as reading and lectures. Although this is necessary to obtain a degree, kinesthetic tasks will go a long way to prepare you for working life, where communicating to others is vital. For me, a mixture of practical experience with the theoretical knowledge developed through university study works. Prior to university graduate employers will be assured that skills and competencies have been developed, whilst basing theory on real life examples will benefit me throughout my degree.

Fear strikes into the heart of most students when trying to fill the white spaces on a CV. Proving that you can be pro-active and practical will ensure that your future employer sees that you are willing to go and do, over and above academic qualifications. Short placements of just a week can add interesting talking points at interviews, whilst longer placements will demonstrate commitment and enable you to produce work to show to potential employers.

As much as competitive sectors such as banking and finance or marketing require you to have relevant, related work experience, organisations can also benefit from adding fresh young faces to the team. Alongside delegating tasks to capable juniors, discussions between staff can benefit from a new team member, often adding another refreshing and stimulating perspective. Work experience is neither ‘cheap labour’ or a ‘waste of time’, as fast paced as university life feels, this is probably the one time in your life where you can afford the time and practicality of not earning.

Luckily I chose a degree and university that would push me to go out and gain practical experience, the skills developed such as organisation and communication not only help to understand how these are key to the success of the company, but also to your success as a student and professional.

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