The importance of work experience (and how you can get some!)
Does the phrase “Sorry, I’m afraid we’re looking for someone with more experience” ring a bell? Stuck in the vicious cycle of “need experience to get a job but need a job to get experience”? Yeah, we get it. It’s a competitive world of work out there, meaning that work experience is valuable to employers more than ever. Read on to find out why work experience is just so important at the moment, and how you can get some with Staffroom Education.
Now, the first thing we will say is that we do require you to have some recent experience of working with children (I know, I know, but hear us out) in order for us to find you paid work. However, if you don’t have this but are interested in working in education, then we know how you can get started! All you need to do is ring around your local schools and ask them if you are able to volunteer with them (schools are very busy at the moment, so are likely to be extremely grateful for the help!). Once you have this initial experience, we would love to register you with us, and help you to gain some fantastic paid work experience with us! So, here’s why work experience is so important…
1) Transferrable skills pay the bills!
Perhaps you are already fairly confident that you know which field of work you want to go into, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to limit yourself by only looking for work experience in this sector. No work experience is wasted, because it’s highly likely to help you to develop your transferrable skills! For example, if an employer looks at your CV and sees that you have experience working in a school, then they already know that you’re very likely to be a patient, resilient, and creative person!
2) It shows that you’re proactive
Having some work experience will show employers that you’ve taken the initiative to get out into the world of work, proving that you’re proactive, and of course ambitious! It’s certainly competitive out there, so why not give yourself a head start?
3) It sets you apart from the crowd
CVs can often look very similar, especially before you start your career, so anything that you can add to it to make you stand out from the crowd will be massively advantageous. Besides, no two people will get exactly the same out of their work experience, so make sure to talk about the skills and knowledge that you feel you gained from it!
4) It allows you to try before you buy!
Work experience is great because of the insight that it gives you into particular fields of work. So, for example, when you work with Staffroom, you get a great insight into the teaching and education sector, helping you to figure out whether you enjoy it, without having to commit to a contract, and risk being stuck in a job that you just simply don’t enjoy.
5) It can be a great way to make money!
Although not all work experience is paid (but it is with Staffroom - just saying!) when it is, it’s a massive bonus! Who doesn’t want to earn some cash on top of gaining some really valuable experience? It’s a win win! Another bonus of working with Staffroom? You’ll never have to work evenings or weekends - only ever school hours Monday-Friday!
So there you have it! 5 of the many reasons that work experience is so important in the world of work at the moment. If you’re interested in gaining some valuable teaching experience, please leave your details below and we’ll get in touch to register you! Not sure if teaching is for you? Well why not give it a go? That’s the beauty of work experience!