Although qualifications are becoming increasingly important when it comes to career progression, work experience is also a necessity.
Work experience lets prospective employers know that you have gained knowledge of a specific industry, have a good insight into the demands of the job, and have gained relevant skills. Work experience is also very valuable from your own point of view, as it means that you can assess whether a certain career is suitable. Spending time in the workplace also allows you to network and can result in you receiving an offer of a paid position.
Aside from all this, work experience really is a valuable asset when making your CV stand out from a crowd and can make CV writing a whole lot easier.
Target employers
The first part of the process of finding work experience is deciding what it is you want to gain from the opportunity. This determination will help you narrow down the employers/organisations that you wish to approach. Doing so will also give you a good understanding of the skills and personal qualities that employers within your field of interest require, which allows you to target your application further.
Update your CV
Once you have an awareness of the type of skills, educational experience and personal qualities that employers are asking for, you can then tailor your CV accordingly. Your CV needs to reflect your achievements and highlight your particular skills and strengths. Having an idea of the type of work experience you wish to undertake also means that you can write a good CV.
Personalise cover letters
When searching for work experience opportunities, you will need to send cover letters to prospective employers. It is important that you personalise the cover letter you send and target it to the particular job role. You may also need to enquire about opportunities when there is no definite position mentioned in the advertisement. In this case, it is even more important that you personalise the cover letter and demonstrate that you have carried out research about the employer.
Network
As much as this may seem like a challenge, you do need to get out there and network. Networking is important because contacting people who work in the industry that you are interested in will ensure that you are informed about any relevant opportunities. Networking also allows for people to become familiar with your particular skill set. You can now carry out a large amount of networking online through social media, sites, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Therefore, you don’t have to do all your networking face-to-face.
Volunteer
A good way to build quality work experience is to volunteer. Voluntary work not only allows you to develop the experience you need to apply for roles within competitive industries but usually involves quality training that you can put on your CV. Volunteering will also allow you to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers, which can ultimately lead to paid employment.
You may wish to complete Oxbridge Home Learning’s CV Writing distance learning course, as this will help you in your search for useful work experience.
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