Year 10 Work Experience Ideas

It's that time of year again when year 10 students start to think about working in the real world, and that comes in the form of work experience.

Work experience is an opportunity for students to get a taste of what it's like to work before heading off to the real world. But if you are like many other students and don't have an idea of where you would like to do a work experience placement, keep on reading.

Work experience gives students the chance to explore career paths before committing to one, and while it's normal to feel a touch of nerves before starting, once you begin your work experience, you will be fine.

Work experience is a big step, but it's also a chance to learn, grow and discover what you may want to do when you are older.

Right now, work experience may seem like a big deal, and you may think that the choice you make now will define your career for the rest of your life, but don't worry, it doesn't. If you go on work experience and don't like it, you aren't stuck in that role forever.  So if you go to a Vet on work experience and don't like it, don't think you have to work with furry animals for the rest of your life.

Work experience in year 10 is there so you get experience of what it's like to work, and there are many benefits of doing so, but if you are like many other students out there, you may be wondering what you do for work experience? In this article, we will give you some ideas of what you can do for work experience in year 10.

Why work experience matters

Work experience can give potential employers some information about you when you apply for your first job, as you may not have any previous experience for them to judge you. Work experience can help with that, and it shows potential employers what it could be like to work with you.

You can also ask the people at your work experience to become a reference for other jobs in the future, so it's very important to give your best efforts and make a good impression when at your work experience.

Choosing the right work experience placement

In year 10, you probably don't know what you want to do as a job yet, and that's totally fine, this is where work experience can help. While it does help if you choose a suitable work experience placement, it isn't the end of the world if you end up going to a place you don't particularly like.

Here are some places you may want to consider when going on work experience in year 10.

Office Work

From admin tasks to attending meetings, office work placements offer a broad overview of business operations. Expect to work on projects, organise paperwork and maybe even answer calls. The skills you'll learn? Time management, organisation, communication and teamwork.

Office work may interest you if you like working on computers or spending time indoors.

Hotels, Restaurants, or Cafés

Working in a hotel, restaurant or cafe on work experience will allow you to learn all about food preparation, customer service and even a bit of marketing. If you're lucky, you may be offered a weekend job too while you are studying.

Going to a hotel or restaurant is a great place for those who see a career in hospitality when they are older. Do you fancy yourself as the next Michel Roux Jr?

Charity Shops

Working in a charity shop can involve sorting donations, managing the till, or organising displays. These placements can help you develop customer service skills, commercial awareness, and an understanding of the retail sector.

Charity Shops can always use the help too, and a placement here will let you experience why charity shops are a vital part of our environment.

Law Courts

This could involve shadowing a solicitor or attending court proceedings. It's a unique chance to improve your understanding of the legal system, develop analytical skills and boost your public speaking confidence.

Lawyers, solicitors and other legal professionals can command an impressive wage, but it's not for those who aren't willing to work.

Hospitals, Care Work, Dentists, or Pharmacies

Healthcare placements can offer a window into the caring professions. You may find yourself observing procedures, providing patient support, or assisting with admin tasks. The key skills gained include communication, empathy, and potentially even some medical knowledge.

As a year 10 student, not all areas of healthcare will be open to you, so it's important to discuss with the school areas you may be interested in to see if a placement is possible.

Schools, Youth Clubs, or Nurseries

If you are interested in a career in education, then applying to go to a school, a youth club, or even a nursery for work experience can be beneficial.

There are multiple skills that you can learn when working with children, so this is a good placement for those who want to explore working and teaching when they get older.

Local Newspapers or Radio Stations

Work experience at a local radio or newspaper can be an exciting experience. You can learn all about telling stories, writing articles and even the busy schedules and deadlines that journalists have to keep to.

Could you be the next top journalist and work for the BBC, Independent, Metro or somewhere else?

Work experience at a newspaper or radio station may put you on that path.

Web Design Studios

Web design is a rewarding career that is both creative and technical, and working at a web design studio will mean that no day is the same. Work placements here may have you working alongside designers and developers to help create amazing websites.

Architects, Estate Agents, or Accountants

Architecture has so many career paths, while estate agents and accountants can teach you their own skill sets, too. These placements can give you a glimpse of what it is like to work in a professional world.

Whether you are drafting plans, walking around properties or helping an accountant crunch numbers, you will gain vital experience on a placement in one of these jobs.

Vets

Do you love animals?

Would you love to work alongside them every day, caring for them and putting them on a path to getting better? Then a placement at a veterinary clinic may be a good idea for you if you are looking for a placement.

Car Garages

Don't mind getting your hands dirty and love the way engines work? If so, a year 10 placement at a local garage could be a great opportunity for you. Here you can learn how to maintain cars, fix flat tyres, and fix any issues that a car may have.

Theatres, Cinemas, Hairdressers, Beauty Salons, Nail Salons

Theatres and cinemas are a great place if you like entertainment and want to be a part of it. Maybe you fancy being an actor or actress, or you simply love binging on Netflix, either way, a placement in both places could be a good choice for you.

Hairdressers, beauty salons and Nail salons are also good placements for those of you who are creative and love taking pride in their appearance. Going on a work experience here could open doors for you to do an apprenticeship in a similar field later down the line.

Banks, Local Councils, Museums

These work placements can provide a different range of experiences which can teach you finance skills, diplomacy skills or even skills that are art-related.

Working in any of these placements can help develop skills that you can use later on in your chosen field of work.

Digital Marketing Agencies

Do you want to be the next MadMan (or woman)? Then working at a digital marketing agency could be a good choice for work experience in year 10.

At a digital agency, you could be creating social media posts, analysing where website traffic comes from, or you could even have a go at creating content.

A digital marketing agency can be a good work experience idea if you are creative and analytical.

Libraries

Libraries aren't just about stacking books, here you can help organise events, manage book loans and learn more about your local library and the inventory they have there. Working at a library can help you improve your organisational skills and customer service abilities, and learn the value of community resources.

Zoos or Wildlife Reserves

Just like working at a veterinary clinic, if you love animals and the outdoors, this would be an ideal placement.

At the zoo, you could help to feed animals, educate visitors, or maintain enclosures. You'll learn about animal care, conservation, and public speaking.

Graphic Design Studios

Just like a marketing agency or digital agency, a graphic design studio could be a good idea for work experience if you are creative.

Here, you might assist in creating logos, helping with layouts for print or online, or brainstorming ideas for projects. You'll boost your creativity, learn some basics of design, and improve your IT skills.

Fitness Centres or Sports Clubs

What better way to stay fit and healthy than to get a job in a gym or a sports club, but before that, you may want to go for work experience to see what the job involves.

Work experience here can involve assisting with fitness classes, helping maintain equipment, or even learning about the business side of sports.

Now, where did I put those Lycra shorts?

Travel Agencies

Want to travel the world one day? Well, what better way to learn about the world than to go on a work experience placement at a travel agency?

Travel agencies can offer a small glimpse into the world of tourism, and you may find yourself learning all about new travel destinations. You may also help with booking holidays or chatting to customers to brush up on those customer service skills.

Music Studios or Art Galleries

If you have an artistic streak, consider placement in a music studio or an art gallery. You might assist with music lessons, help with the organisation of an art event, or learn about curating. These experiences can develop your creativity and organisational skills, and deepen your understanding of the arts industry.

Tech Companies or Start-ups

In a tech company or start-up, you could help with software testing, assist in project management tasks, or even learn some coding. This type of placement can improve your IT skills, introduce you to project management and foster your problem-solving abilities.

Adventure Activity Centres

If you're an adrenaline junkie, working in an adventure activity centre could be for you. You might be assisting instructors, helping with equipment, or learning about health and safety. Skills to be developed could include leadership, teamwork, and safety awareness.

Bookshops

Love books or comics? Then, a work experience idea that you may want to try is working at a bookshop. At a bookshop, you may learn how to manage stock, create displays and even improve your customer service skills.

Photography Studios

If you like art but don't fancy a career in it, then a photographer could be the next step.

Working at a photography studio will give you the chance to see what it's like to do photoshoots, what goes into editing images and how you use camera equipment.

You may also learn IT skills at this placement.

Farms or Veterinary Clinics

If you love animals, placement on a farm or at a vet's office can be incredibly rewarding. You could be feeding animals, assisting with check-ups, or even learning about animal health. In the process, you'll develop practical skills, learn about animal care, and understand the importance of responsibility.

Supermarkets or Local Shops

Working at a supermarket or local shop may not seem that exciting, but supermarkets have some great career prospects when you get on their management programmes.

A work experience placement at your local supermarket could open many doors for you and will allow you to understand how retail works. You may start with stocking shelves, but you could end up running multiple stores across the country.

Why not see if you can do your work experience at the local supermarket?

Science Laboratories

Science-minded students might consider placement in a laboratory. You could assist with experiments, handle equipment, or contribute to data collection. You'll learn about scientific methodologies and safety in a lab setting, and possibly delve deeper into a specific field of science.

Construction Sites

Like building or even breaking down things, then a construction work experience placement could be a great idea for you.

While doing a placement at a construction site, you might assist with drafting plans, learn about building materials, or even visit active construction sites.

Health and safety may stop you from going on work experience here in year 10, so it's worth checking with your school first to see what you can do.

Television or Film Studios

If you're interested in the media industry, these placements could offer valuable insights. You could assist with production tasks, learn about scriptwriting, or even shadow a director. This will help develop your creativity, organisational skills, and understanding of media production.

So if you want to be the next Christopher Nolan, apply for a work experience placement at a film studio.

Catering Companies

Want to work with food but don't know where to start. Going on work experience at a catering company may give you a better idea of what you will want to do in the future

At a catering company, you might help with food prep, assist in setting up events, or learn about menu planning. This placement could open you up to working in hospitality or even at wedding events.

Historical Sites or Tourist Attractions

Working in these places can give you insight into tourism and local history. Tasks might include guiding visitors, organising tours, or assisting in maintaining the site. This placement can improve your communication skills, customer service, and broaden your historical knowledge.

Fashion Retailers or Design Studios

Fancy working in fashion? Then doing a work experience placement at a retailer or design studio is a good choice for you.

You might assist with clothing displays, learn about trends, or even help design pieces. This experience can develop your creativity, customer service skills, and understanding of the fashion industry.

Going on work experience

It's normal to be nervous, and it's normal not have an idea of where you want to go on work experience, but hopefully our article has given you some ideas on some of the placements where you can go.

Work experience is valuable to both your personal and professional development, but more importantly, it's a place for you to go and build on your life experiences.

You may choose to go to one place for work experience and then choose a totally different career in the future, and that's ok. Work experience gives you the chance to learn about different sectors and understand what a typical workday looks like in that industry. But it's also essential to remember that your work experience choice you make now won't lock you into a specific career path for the rest of your life.

Even if your work experience isn't in the sector you end up pursuing, the transferable skills you gain will be beneficial.

If you are thinking of going to university, work experience is a good chance to show your ability to carry out certain tasks.

As always if you are a student and need storage, at Pink Storage, we offer affordable storage solutions for students in many of our storage locations including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and more.

‍