Work experience is more than a checkbox on your resume; it unlocks doors to more opportunities!
Work experience bridges the gap between your studies and the workplace. It helps you build your confidence and skills ready for work.
Our pals at mycar know the value of work experience and they love welcoming motivated young people to their workplaces!
Explore where work experience could take you, with the mycar team’s tips to get started below.
What Counts as Work Experience?
Work experience is any activity that helps you learn more about the workplace. It’s an experience that supports your knowledge and skills related to a chosen career path.
While traditional work experience opportunities see you spending a week or two with an employer, it includes other experiences such as:
- Workplace Visits & Tours: Where you spend the day touring different workplaces, hearing from employees and learning more about the careers on offer.
- Job Shadowing: This is where you’re paired with different professionals and spend a day or two with them, observing what they do and learning about their work.
- Work Placement: This option allows you to spend a dedicated amount of time getting hands-on experience in a workplace. You could spend one day a week on placement for a set amount of time or complete your placement as a block for a week or two.
The Best Ways to Find Work Experience
There are LOTS of ways to find work experience, so it’s essential to stay open to new ideas and opportunities. Work experience is most beneficial when you use it to explore your ideas and uncover new ones.
Remember to stay curious and give something new a go! Here are our top tips for sourcing opportunities near you:
- Networking: Use your networks to find opportunities. For example, ask your parents and family if their workplaces offer placements. Personal connections often open doors to valuable work experiences.
- Career Services: Speak to your school’s career services. They’ll provide information on employers who offer work experience and help you find the right fit for you.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Consider volunteering in your community. Volunteering allows you to contribute to a cause and provides a chance to develop skills, make connections, and showcase your commitment.
- Online Platforms: Explore online platforms dedicated to job and internship postings, such as LinkedIn, Seek or Indeed. Create an online profile and set up job alerts to stay in the know about opportunities.
- Cold Outreach: Take the initiative by contacting companies or professionals in your field. Craft a well-written email expressing your interest and highlighting your skills. Many successful work experiences start with a proactive approach, demonstrating your enthusiasm and commitment to potential employers.
Where Can Work Experience Lead You?
Work experience can help you open many doors! Some opportunities you undertake may help you clarify where you want to steer your career.
And others can be the starting point for bigger and better things, such as:
- School-Based Apprenticeship (SBA): School-Based Apprenticeships allow senior high school students to commence an apprenticeship while at school. School-based apprentices work part-time and undertake the first stage of their apprenticeship training before the end of the HSC year.
- Apprenticeships: Apprenticeships provide a structured learning environment where work experience directly translates into hands-on skills. This approach is particularly beneficial for roles that require specialised knowledge, such as automotive technicians or mechanics.
- Finding the Right Career Path: Work experience is a compass that guides you toward your ideal career path. By actively engaging in different roles, you can discover your strengths, preferences, and areas of passion within the automotive industry, helping you make informed career decisions.
- Understanding Role Preferences: Work experience is a trial run. It helps you to see whether a role aligns with your interests and goals. So, whether you find you love the challenges of automotive mechanics or discover a passion for customer service, these experiences help you find what suits you best.
Where to Next?
Through our dedicated work experience program, you can discover many exciting opportunities at mycar!
Explore diverse roles, from customer service to engineering, and see where your journey with mycar could lead. Contact the team at careers@mycar.com.au or call (02) 9680 6500 to get started today!
