Why Work Experience is valuable

Amos shared his thoughts on how beneficial work experience was for him and why other students should value their work experience placements.

“Hi, my name is Amos and I’m a student from Newham who did a work experience placement at The Switch in March 2025.

Gaining work experience as a student is a valuable opportunity to develop a wide variety of skills, explore careers, and build a strong CV for the future. It bridges the gap between learning in school and real-world application, helping students become more competitive in the job market. By engaging in work experience, students can gain hands-on experience, expand their professional networks, and boost their confidence for future career success.

The first benefit of doing work experience during your school years is that you get a better understanding of the workplace.

This is important because it means you’re better prepared for whatever the future holds for you. Around 85% of students told The Switch that they have a better understanding of the workplace which demonstrates how successful work experience has been for students. During my placement at The Switch, I learnt that being an office worker isn’t as boring as I heard it was.

The second benefit of work experience is developing skills that are vital in the workplace. This is important because, like the better understanding of the workplace, it better prepares you for the workforce. It also means you have a more competitive CV.

Around 80% of students agreed that they developed skills that are useful for the workplace during their work experience placement. During my placement at The Switch, I developed a wide variety of skills from research to writing to digital communications.

The last benefit of work experience is feeling more confident interacting with business professionals. Around 85% of students agreed with this statement. This is important because whether you’re employed or self employed, you might find yourself having to negotiate deals with businesses etc.

During my placement at The Switch, I discovered that negotiation was a key aspect because most of the charity’s finances come from corporate partnerships.

Finally, from a personal point of view, I know that work experience is fun and exciting and I encourage all of you to undertake it at some point.

From all these benefits, you’ll find that you have nothing to lose and everything to win.”

Amos joined Team Switch through Inspire EBP’s Work Experience programme.

Looking to make a difference and host a work experience student in 2025?