Currently studying A-Level computer science at Carmel College, I want to gain practical knowledge in the no-code sector in the technology industry. It is why I decided to take a week of work experience with Excelpoint Limited on Aycliffe Business Park, as it enabled me to discover various job opportunities for the future whilst exploring different paths within the tech sector.
Here are five benefits of work experience and how they related to my week at Excelpoint:
Decide on your Future
During my visit to Excelpoint, I realised that work experience was great for revealing what it is like to work in the tech sector. The knowledge I had about working in the technology industry before my visit was far less than the knowledge I have now since I was able to attend multiple meetings (involving software development and marketing). I also had one-to-one conversations with professionals in the no-code sector who gave me an insight into how the company runs and how they can help clients using their system.
It shows how vital work experience can be in helping you decide your future careers and goals, as work experience might reveal what you enjoy doing whilst identifying the education you may need to get to this point.
So, from this perspective, I highly recommend work experience, as it could highlight an area you wouldn’t have previously considered, expanding your job opportunities and options.
Discovering the Reality of the Working World
Regardless of what you know before entering work experience, you will gain invaluable information about what it’s like to work in that sector. You will observe and learn from professionals how the administrative and hierarchal systems operate in the working environment and learn how you would fit in if you were to get a job in that sector.
It will also highlight other aspects, such as how you would commute to work each day, what it’s like communicating and using your teamwork skills with colleagues, and how you need to present yourself each day. From my trip to Excelpoint, I saw how the working day went by participating in multiple activities such as meetings and one-to-one conversations with professionals.
Using your Academia in the Workplace
One advantage of work experience is that you can practice utilising all the knowledge you have gained over the years from education and apply it to a working environment. It can be inspiring when you realise that you’re in-the-classroom knowledge can be used to help solve a problem in the real world and can help motivate you to pursue the right education for you.
During a meeting of a demo of the Excelpoint software, I found that I was required to use my computer science knowledge of databases to help understand the problem at hand.
Employability
Companies are more likely to employ applicants with work experience, as they have gained knowledge and practice in the working world. By attending work experience, you are obtaining contacts of people and getting your name out there for companies to see. If your work experience goes well, there is a chance you could get a job at the company where you attended work experience.
Overall, by attending work experience, you are making yourself a more well-rounded worker, and companies are more likely to reach out to you and try to employ you.
Something to put in your CV
If you find you haven’t got much to put on your CV, work experience is one of the best things you can do. It is highly valued by companies, universities, and colleges and can easily be the edge over other competitors. Work experience shows that you can apply your classroom knowledge to real-world problems and demonstrates to companies and educational institutes that you are capable and can translate your current skillset into problem-solving.
Summary
In conclusion, I believe that work experience is essential, especially for students, as it can help develop knowledge and skills in a given industry. It makes you more employable and exposes you to professionals and companies to get your name out there.
It is also a vital topic to feature in your CV, as it proves to companies that you can apply your skills to real-world problems.
Archie Headland
