Thinking about work experience

During your degree, you may decide that you’d like to do that little bit extra or want to get some experience to better prepare yourself for life after University – go you!

You could do this by either choosing a work experience placement or volunteering for different projects. Some courses allow you to take a placement/sandwich year which means that you will spend a year of your degree working in a field that is relevant to what you are studying. As a Media Production student, I decided to do some work experience alongside my degree to build up a portfolio and my CV.

But first of all, you need to find the placement that suits you, so here are some of my tips on finding work experience:

1. To start off with, have a think about the area in which you would like to progress into once you graduate – or what part of your course really interests you. Then do a little research into local companies that might be offering jobs in that field – you never know they may even be offering work experience or internships as well. This is also a good opportunity for a little introspection if you don’t quite know what direction you want to take after university.
2. If you’re eager to get some work experience, but don’t quite know how to go about it, the careers and employability team are great people to contact – they can help you to find work, sort out your CV/cover letter and with virtually any questions you may have about the in’s and out’s of being more employable. If you do have any questions or want some help, either email them or go to the drop-in centre just above the Student Union.
3. Another way is to find out from your tutors if there are any local companies, maybe partnered with the University, that offer work experience. I for one have been able to build up my skill by getting involved with New Media Lincs, run by Hazel Donnelly. This is part of the School of Film and Media and advertises a variety of both paid and unpaid work for any skill level. Previously, I have undertaken a variety of jobs, such as teaching a media workshop, making a promotional video for the West End Lights and filming the Cathedral Cup.
4. For less course based volunteering there is always the Lincoln Award – it’s a University run Scheme that involves improving your skills and employability by attending workshops and volunteering for different causes over the course of the year.
5. Lastly, I want to stress that you need to put your degree first and ensure you have enough time to do your work. We all know that university can be very stressful, so you don’t want to add to the stress by giving yourself too much work – If you have any concerns, speak to your tutors/family/friends and decide what is best for you.

Getting work experience during your time at university will enable you to enhance your CV and portfolio in addition to standing out when applying for jobs. There are so many people at the University of Lincoln who will help you find work experience and give you advice on being more employable so make the most of it while you can.