Home› Work & Study
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options

Work Experience - Q for younger peeps

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Work & Study
Right, this is a question really for the younger peeps but I'm happy to hear everyones verdit and ideas...

OK... I've been put in charge of all the work experience lads who come to our company from now on...

The basis behind this was that I'm the youngest, 19, at the company (by about 8 years) and they count me as being more in touch with that age group on the fact that outside of work I do radio and DJing etc.

So... I'm just asking basically what you'd like if you where sent on a work experience placement to do like IT and that...

I want the little peeps to enjoy themselfs so I'm trying to sort of give them interesting jobs which will:

a) actually be like things you'd do in a job and not shuffling paper / making tea for people

b) useful for them in GCSEs and stuff

c) Not boring

I also take them with me when I get called out around the factory/building...

Anyone got any further ideas, does this sound alright?

Comments

  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sounds good to me! You should ask them what they were expecting when they took a work experience job with your company, get them to make suggestions.

    Also, don't feel bad if you make them do some boring stuff. That's what jobs are most of the time, and they have to learn it at some point along the way.

    The key to this question is give them a good balance of boring, educational, and fun things to do...
    Your cycles have bled into ones supposed to be my own
  • Options
    Girl-From-MarsGirl-From-Mars Posts: 2,822 Boards Guru
    wish i had you on my work experience placement! i was working in a small office, it was the IT section in the district council.. and they operated a help desk so anyone in the council could phone up... just coz i didnt wanna answer the phones the first few days, they didnt offer it to me again. i used to be really shy as well so i didnt ask.

    also, i remember hating it when everyone left the office and i didnt know when they were coming back, or what i was supposed to do when id finished my task.... i did a lot of playing minesweeper <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt; they gave me these little tasks to do that didnt take me very long and then were kinda vague about what to do, so i just ended up doing it as slow as poss and playing minesweeper in the middle to drag it out more.

    needless to say, i didnt much enjoy my work experience!! but it sounds like you have it all covered <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt;
    I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.
    ~ the late, great Douglas Adams
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think asking them isn't always good...many of them might be unwilling to say "oh, well i imagined i would be doing this this and that" cos they might think they're unreasonabl tasks for someone to be set. or summin.

    else...i think u've got the idea> <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt;
    Look into these tired eyes. See something you might recognise.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Think you have most things covered...

    As long as you make sure they know how to make coffee as well. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/wink.gif"&gt;
    "Tonight I'm tangled in my blanket of clouds, dreaming aloud"
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Although you could ask them, I think that might be difficult for them because I know when I went on work experience I didn't have a clue what it was going to be like or what was going to be expected of me.

    I was working in the local newspaper office, so I got to go out with the reporters while they did interviews which was basically just finding out about what the job entailed, which was interesting even though I wasn't doing anything.

    But I also got to research and then write my own reports that actually got put in the paper which was really cool. I'd advise you let them get involved with the things you normally do rather than creating artificial tasks for them to do. Makes it a lot more enjoyable if they can actually see the point in what they're doing.

    If you're friendly so that they feel they can ask you questions, keep an eye on them while they're working so you can give them advice and you know when they're done so they don't get bored, and let them know what's going on, you should do fine.

    Good luck Justin <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt;
  • Options
    Girl-From-MarsGirl-From-Mars Posts: 2,822 Boards Guru
    Originally posted by wildchild:
    I'd advise you let them get involved with the things you normally do rather than creating artificial tasks for them to do. Makes it a lot more enjoyable if they can actually see the point in what they're doing.

    definitely <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt;
    I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.
    ~ the late, great Douglas Adams
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well the lad I've got at the moment, Jamie (14) says hes enjoying himself, the work I set him is whats set me I just spread it slightly so he can do some of my stuff, I watch over him and chat with him while he does stuff then take him wherever I go..

    This afternoon hes re-decoring some large computer display (I never set this) and digitally photographing some product units.. yummy...

    He's still smiling anyway.. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt;
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    duuuuuuude, i wanna do work experience with you! u rock!
    Look into these tired eyes. See something you might recognise.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Turtle:
    duuuuuuude, i wanna do work experience with you! u rock!

    Ditto, you seem to be really trying with this and it's cool, I bet Jamie's having a great time <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt;

Sign In or Register to comment.