WORK EXPERIENCE//INTERVIEWS TIPS

I'm not sure how every school works but at my school round about this time in year 10 every student starts to panic as work experience is mentioned, awful right?

Also round about this time of year, year 11 have to have a mock interview, even worse!

So as I have been through both I'm going to give you a few hints a tips on how to get through both!

WORK EXPERIENCE

At first it sounds fun, but then scary as the thought of having to work and have a interview at the start and being pressured into doing what your parents or aunts or uncles may do in a job and someone of your age shouldn't, but don't panic it's totally not worth it!!
1)Plan where you want to do your work experience, it doesn't have to be to do with what you want to do when you leave school although that would be a good idea.

2)Get it all sorted out with the business straight away, the longer you leave it the more the business are more likely to say they have no places left and you will be suck with nowhere to do your work experience.

3)If you're worried about what you will have to do, or when you will get to eat or what hours or days you will be working don't be afraid to ring up the business and ask them. The more questions you ask the more they will be persuaded that you are generally wanting to do your work experience there for  actual work experience and not for time away from school! Call them up or even arrange to go see them nearer the time and ask all the questions you have, trust me you will feel 100x better after you have asked all the things you are worried about.

4)Treat it as a normal school day, be punctual dress appropriately and talk to the staff in a polite manner like you would the school teaching staff, remember they are there to help you not judge or complain how your work skills are. You are there to learn!

5)Enjoy it, honestly afterwards when you go back to school you will wish you can go back and do it again because it's a really good experience to get you into the world of work for when you leave school.

INTERVIEWS 

Trust me, everyone panics about interviews, even your parents will have panicked about interviews but they're not as bad as you think they are they are helpful for you to get across what sort of person you are and for the person who is interviewing you to understand more about you.

1)DO NOT PANIC, if you panic you will probably sit there in silence and not say anything which will end up worse than if you actually speak.

2)Dress appropriately, speak politely and look presentable.

3)Don't worry about the questions, they will not ask you questions they think you are not able to answer or have no idea what to say for.

4)Practise before you go in, this is not a "must do" but if you really are worried practise with your parents, friends or school staff. Adults will know the area of questions they will be asking therefore they will know what kind of answer you need to give.

5)Just let it happen, you can't change what you say, once you've said it that is that and you can't go back and say something different. If it's your first or second interview you're aloud to make mistakes because you are not experienced in how an interview works.

6)Don't just say nothing, you'll probably make it worse for yourself if you say nothing at all just give an answer at least.

I wish you all luck with your work experience & mock interviews or any interviews. Honestly don't worry, nothing is worth worrying about because if you worry too much it might make it worse than if you went into it and gave it your best. Let me know how your work experience or any interviews go, I'd love to know!!

-xo Gee