The following page provides information for pupils participating in work experience.
A minimum of two weeks of Work Experience is required by pupils attending Irish schools during Transition Year.
Transition Year is the best time to participate in a work experience programme although some in Form V and VI may also have opportunity to do this (it is recommended that pupils in Form V or VI only do work experience during holiday periods).
What is Work Experience (and what it isn't)?
During Transition Year, and sometimes in pre-Leaving Cert. years, pupils take time out from their studies to get work experience. These valuable opportunities are a chance to see what it might be like to work in an area you are interested in when you finish your education, and may be highly influential in your future career choices. This may be because you really liked the work and want to continue with it, or because you didn’t like it and decide to change direction.
Work experience is NOT a part-time job, where you're earning money by working regularly, at weekends of over the holidays. While this can provide valuable experience and help develop 'transferable career skills', there is a difference between this and work experience.
You gain work experience through a placement with an employer, which typically involves working alongside professionals as they go about their daily business. It is an excellent opportunity to observe what skills are being used to get the job done successfully, as well as developing some of those skills yourself. Behaving maturely and taking up the responsibility necessary to succeed in the workplace are also important steps in your personal development.
The designated Transition Year Work Experience weeks are from Monday October 21st to Friday October 25th 2024 and from Monday February 24th to Friday February 28th 2025
Everyone is expected to find a work placement during these times and there are no classes scheduled for TY during those weeks.
You may organise additional work experience placements outside of these times BUT only with advance notice and the permission of the Guidance Counsellor and the TY Co-ordinator. You should never miss exams for work experience.
It is best to organise your work experience in your home country / locality.
Finding a Placement
It is important that YOU, and not your parents, take responsibility for finding a work placement. You can, of course, use your parents to find a placement but you should take responsibility for communicating with potential employers.
While you may be interested in a particular field, work experience does not have to be a career path that you are planning to continue with. However, do aim for an area of work which you’d like to learn more about, or one which you find interesting.
Below are some tips on finding a suitable work placement:
- Ask your family and relatives if they know anyone who works in an industry in which you are placements, so consult your guidance counsellor about any availabilities.
- The College may have some links with local companies who are willing to offer work
- Start asking early! Having a placement booked well in advance will save you from ending up in a placement you didn’t want and won’t enjoy.
- Check out the WorkXperience section of www.careersportal.ie and use the Search facility to see if there are any placements available that interest you interested, and see if they can get you a placement.
Contacting the Employer
When you have decided what area you'd like to get your experience in and found a suitable employer, YOU will need to make contact with them. It's best to contact them by phone first. Using your best manners, you should ask if the company accepts students on work experience and who would be the best person to write a letter to. Be aware that some companies may have application forms and a deadline for applications.
Be sure to do your research in advance and fully understand the company you are applying to.
It is best, even if you speak with someone over the phone, to make a request in writing, either via email or in a letter. See sample letter and emails below.
- Your name
- Your school
- Your school year
- The reason you are making contact, i.e. enquiring about work experience opportunities
- The dates you are seeking a placement
- Your contact details
- A copy of your CV
Realistically, you should apply to a number of places and the earlier you apply the better.
What to Expect
Work experience placements are short so don't expect to be doing anything particularly exciting. It's likely the tasks you'll be given will be simple but take the opportunity while undertaking tasks to observe as many processes as possible, and to interact with staff and customers. This will give you the chance to develop key personal and employability skills, as well as observe what’s really going on in the workplace.
Work experience is about developing key career skills and it's likely you already have many of the above "transferable career skills" useful in the workplace. Work experience is a great opportunity to develop these further.
It is also a great opportunity to find out if you enjoy the specific work environment. Sometimes, discovering you don't want to pursue a particular career can be a fantastic outcome of a work experience placement.
What employers want?
Employers want you to gain as much as possible from your time working with them. They are investing time and resources in supporting you, so it is important that you recognise what they are looking for from you. Remember, if you impress your employers now, you may gain paid part-time/full-time work in the future! The following requirements are reported as being most important by employers, so it would be best not to ignore them!
- Show good time management – don’t be late arriving, but also make sure you check when the correct times for breaks are. If you are delayed for any reason, it is important that you let someone at work know as soon as possible.
- Maintain a good personal appearance – dress appropriately for the organisation (check with your mentor if you are not sure what to wear) and ensure your clothes are in good condition.
- Make sure you are always neat and tidy.
- Stay respectful to your colleagues and your clients at all times.
- Respect any issues of confidentiality; companies take this very seriously.
- Be friendly and smile, even when you’re nervous. Good eye contact is important. Be keen and prepared to learn, use your initiative
- If you’re not sure of something, ask!
- Don’t chew gum!
- Make sure your mobile phone is switched off while at work
Setting Goals
To get the most from your work experience, it's important to think about what you want to achieve during your time with the employer. Set a few simple goals before you begin and don't be afraid to discuss these with your employer before you start - they might arrange a task to help you work on these goals.
Sample goals might include:
- Learn to avoid distractions.
- Get better than time management.
- Improve my communication with adults.
- Learn about the daily work of a lawyer, nurse etc
- Discover more about what an engineer does.
- Improve my computer skills.
- Get better at working in teams
During Work Experience
While you are on work experience, keep a daily record of the tasks you completed that day, what skills you worked on and if you found something difficult or challenging. You should fill in the Work Experience Workbook below while on your work placement.
If you have problems during your work placement, speak with your supervisor there. It's likely your difficulties can be easily fixed. If you're ill on a given day, make sure to contact your employee early in the morning to let them know you won't be available to work that day.
In the event of a significant problem, contact Mr. Jones in the College (guidance@stcolumbas.ie).
Reflecting on Work Experience
Use the above Work Experience Workbook to help you reflect on what you learned during your experience. Is this the career for you? What skills did you learn?
Your work experience is only as good as your reflections on it.
Work Experience Competition - click on the picture below for more information.