Work experience and internships are a vital part of university life now – with the former being a compulsory part of some university courses, especially the business-based ones, so having great student broadband deals will be helpful.
For students doing courses such as English Literature or History, this opportunity to enjoy work experience is rare so they must use the fast and cheap access to the internet they have with their Glide offering to research where and when they can access work experience.
That’s when they aren’t binge-watching something on Netflix!
As university fees and student loans increase, people are demanding more than just lectures and seminars for their money. Students, rightly, want to leave their higher education course with the tools and life experience that will make them stand out to their potential employers who hold the keys to their future.
During term time it’s important to focus on academic work so the best time to harvest the skills needed for a future career is in the holidays. The summer break is very long so you can more than accommodate an internship, a holiday as well as a social life – so there is no excuse!
Offers may come from many places so knowing how to choose the best work placement is important. A quality position has a number of key features:
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Challenging and related to the degree or career
Work experience isn’t a way to pay for your student utility bills and it should be much more challenging than a part time job. Learning opportunities and a chance to grow as a person are important.
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Understanding of how it will develop you
If a placement is just something that is hard because you have never done it before you’ve missed the point. Understand and be motivated by the lessons you’re learning, this will help when explaining the role in an interview.
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The potential for employment
The student should be treated as one of the team and there should be hope of being employed after graduation. Your Glide student bills will turn into ‘standard’ ones and an immediate wage will certainly help.
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Support
Care, monitoring and the chance to reflect. These should come both from the employer and the university. Again, this will help when you are called later for interviews with employers.
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High quality work experience
Being given proper work to do and being allowed to learn and make mistakes are good indicators of a high quality work experience. Being treated as ‘the placement’ and given menial tasks that no-one else in the company wants to do isn’t helpful.
A special project that you can take ownership of and make a real difference is a fantastic sign the company is taking you seriously.
Ask the students in the years above for advice as to which firms or organisations you should do a placement with. What did they do and achieve there? Similarly the dodgy companies who use students as free labour will stand out amongst your peers.
Studies have shown that graduates with extensive, relevant and useful experience are much more likely to find a great job quicker. Work out which skills will make you stand out and search for a business who are happy to teach them to you.
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University is a great opportunity to learn
Being at university is a great opportunity to learn and enjoy living in a new place and meeting new friends but there always needs to be an element of looking where this experience will take you. Don’t leave it too late to organise work experience opportunities because there will be others taking advantage of their opportunities to create openings and put the detailed experience on their CV to get the edge on those who didn’t bother.
It might not seem important now, or you are too busy with studies or the various Uni clubs and societies, but you will need to do something to impress a potential employer and build your contacts and networks and gaining experience in the industry you want to work in could prove to be invaluable.
As mentioned earlier, speaking with those who have gone before you and enjoyed a particular work experience could prove to be really helpful with advice and contacts – they may even ‘have a word’ to set everything up for you beforehand. That would be a great result!
If you want to know more about student broadband and paying student utility bills, then you should speak with the friendly team at Glide for more info.