Work Experience

Don’t Wait to Finish School to get Experience

You don’t need to sit around and wait until you’ve finished school to start getting experience, building skills, and making connections for your future. There are lots of things you can do alongside your schoolwork.

Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Part-time work

This is something a lot of students already do. Finding a part-time or casual job is an excellent way to start building valuable skills, learning about the world of work, and even making important connections for the future (plus you get to earn some money too).

You don’t need to give up a lot of time for a job. It could be a few hours a week, either after school or on the weekend.

If you’d like to know whether you’re ready to start work, talk to your parents/carers and think about jobs you might like to do. And if you’re ready to jump in, make sure you’re staying safe at work too.

Start a business

Not too keen on working for someone else? If you have the initiative – and a great idea – you might like to start your own business.

You’re probably not going to become a millionaire overnight, but with some dedication and time you might be able to grow your business into something special.

Interested in starting your own business? Find out how here.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to develop important work and life skills – and it looks great on your resume or uni applications too.

Sure, you might not be getting paid, but what you get back in experience is more than worth it. Volunteer work might even lead to a paid role down the track, if you show some initiative.

Learn more about the ways volunteering can benefit you here.

Get work experience

If you already have a career or industry you’re interested in, a great way to solidify that interest is through work experience. It’s a great way to get a taste of working life, and can help you narrow down your future choices.

Plus, it’s another way you can learn useful skills and make future contacts.

Read more about the skills you can get through work experience, and how it can help build your future.

Start networking

You don’t need to wait until you’re in the workforce to start networking – you can do it now. Try and get to know some of the big names in your industry of choice. You might even like to try and reach out to them for some advice, whether it’s in person or via social media.

Find a family friend or other trusted adult who has a job you’d love and ask them all about it.

You might even be able to attend certain industry events to start meeting people and getting your name out there.

Find out more about the benefits of networking.

Try a microcredential or MOOC

You probably don’t have tons of extra time on your hands for even more study. Not to worry – this is where microcredentials and MOOCs (massive online open courses) come in handy.

These bite-sized learning opportunities are a perfect way to upskill and gain new knowledge quickly and easily.

Learn more about what microcredentials are here, or take a look at our top online course provider picks.

Hobbies

Learning can be fun too! Hobbies can help you build a huge variety of useful skills, from mindfulness to motor skills, as well as improving your focus and mental health.

Want to know more about the benefits of hobbies? Check out our blog here.