Work experience can be work you do for your community, such as mowing lawns, or sports coaching, to work you do in a workplace as a cadetship or internship. The work may be paid, or be voluntary and unpaid.
Why do work experience
Work experience has many benefits. It can:
- improve your chances of finding a job because employers prefer to hire people with work experience
- increase your chances of being offered a permanent job if the employer thinks you’re a good worker
- help you learn more about a job or industry to decide if you like it or not
- increase your awareness of other jobs you might like in the same workplace
- give you the opportunity to study for NCEA and tertiary credits if you’re doing work experience programmes such as Gateway.
Internships
- Internships allow you to get work experience at an organisation for a fixed time.
Job shadowing
- Job shadowing is when you work with a mentor to learn about a role or area of work. You may follow your mentor as they do their job tasks.
Part-time jobs and holiday jobs
- Part-time and holiday jobs can help you get work experience and may lead to full-time work.
Voluntary work
- You can do voluntary work with a wide range of organisations such as school boards and committees, youth organisations, and environmental and cultural groups.
Volunteering helps you:
- explore career options
- get skills and experience for your CV
- show your interest in a career to employers
- make useful contacts or referees.
Work experience at school
- You can attend industry days and work part time while at school. Speak to your career adviser, Gateway co-ordinator or a teacher to get on work experience programmes.
Gateway
You need to be in Year 11, 12 or 13 to do Gateway. This involves:
- part-time work in a workplace where you learn specific work knowledge and skills
- assessment of the knowledge and skills you’ve gained
- study at school towards tertiary credits.
Work choice Day
- You need to be in Year 12.
- You spend a day at a workplace and learn about different jobs.
Industry events and competitions
- Learn about an industry or get work experience with industry events.
- Competitions such as science fairs or the Young Enterprise Scheme give you a chance to do practical work while still at school.
Click onto the categories below for more opportunities :