Hear employers’ views of what’s in it for the student – and how this helps the recruiter. Big thanks to Ryan and Philip of Costain and Emma of P&G.
“Work experience allows students to get an insight into the working environment and how they can apply their degree to practical situations. This type of experience will allow students to take those initial steps of learning without having the additional pressures of being in a position that carries increased responsibility and consequence. This will place them in a much better position when leaving university and entering graduate positions.
Students will be able to understand more of what is expected within their role, and to develop their skills from an earlier stage. Also, most importantly, they will start to understand what direction they want to go in.”
“Work experience exposes the student to an environment that cannot be created at university. It allows them to work in teams with engineers who have years of experience. This enables the student to gain new engineering knowledge along with developing their communication and team working skills. Work experience is also a great way to get your name known to companies!”
Ryan McPherson, Philip Bald, Costain
“To learn more about your talents and capabilities, our interviewers will ask you about your past experiences and accomplishments. This could include any past experiences, during internships and at school but also outside of school, such as associations, sports, travel and of course work experience.
We look for students who have not only proven that they can obtain academic degrees and qualifications but who have also demonstrated passion and leadership in other aspects of their life. We seek dynamic students who have the capability to “get things done”. This means rich examples which highlight achievements outside of school as well as in school. We are looking for behaviours and achievements rather than a diploma.”
Emma Lau, P&G
That’s the last of our posts for #WorkExperience November 2016. We’re so grateful to all the contributors and hope you’ve been encouraged to take the next step towards your future. If you haven’t checked out our special webpage yet, here’s the link: www.ed.ac.uk/careers/wex .
