What to do and what NOT to do while on work experience
- WP
- Aug 28, 2023
- 7 min read
Good news! You’ve had an email back from a media outlet with an offer of work experience - the first step on the road to securing full-time employment, a first opportunity to test your skills with professionals and, finally, a reason to give Mum as to why you didn’t throw out those black school shoes that are at the back of the cupboard.
So you’re in! The media world awaits. Work experience can be key to unlocking your career potential, whether you're looking to gain new skills, make connections in the industry, or simply just get your foot in the door - it’s a critical chapter in career progression.
But what should you actually do when you rock up on day one? And, perhaps more importantly, what should you not do? Following on from my previous article, ‘Top tips for how to get work experience in Marketing’, this post will provide some essential tips for making the most of your opportunity.
1. Dress appropriately
Sounds obvious doesn’t it? But you’d be surprised how often this isn’t adhered to. I’ve seen more than one person come in on work experience wearing their newest pair of trainers, wearing a shirt which hasn’t seen an iron in years or with a hairstyle that belongs on the dance floor. Always be aware of the company’s dress code and make sure that you follow it - ask them to confirm it via email if you’re not sure. First impressions count and you want to make a positive one.
2. Be early
Don’t just be on time, be early. At Uni, we could get away with strolling into a lecture two minutes after the hour and giving the teacher an apologetic smile, but those days are over. If they ask you to come in for 9am then that means that they want you to start work at 9am. Get there at 8.45am, give them chance to show you to your desk, grab a cup of coffee and be ready for the morning meeting.
Arriving on time shows that you are reliable and take your work experience seriously.
So meet your deadlines, be accountable for your work and you'll earn the trust and respect of your colleagues and demonstrate that you're a responsible and committed employee.
If for any reason you are running late, then it is essential to let the manager know as soon as possible.
3. Be respectful and professional
Best that you don’t share the inappropriate joke that your friend has just pinged around the WhatsApp group with the office. It probably won’t land in quite the same way. Remember that you’re there to work for and represent the company, so avoid bad language, always be polite and professional when communicating with colleagues, customers, and clients.
Additive, while you’re on work experience with any company, be mindful of your behaviour away from the office. It probably wouldn’t reflect too well on you if the video that your friend filmed of you singing ‘Wonderwall’ at the top of your voice before stumbling out of a taxi on Saturday night ended up in front of the Editor… Food for thought.
4. Take notes and ask questions
When given a task, make sure that you write down all details of the request. These are busy people that might not have the time (nor patience) to repeat the ask, so making notes means that you don’t miss anything important.
By the same token, if they’ve asked for something and you don’t understand it, don’t pretend that you do to try to impress, ask for clarification to get a better understanding as this shows that you're committed to doing a good job and that you're not too proud to admit when you need assistance. I remember not doing this while on work experience myself, and it was embarrassing when my work was reviewed at the end of the day and they had to re-write it because I’d misunderstood the task.
Asking questions shows an eagerness to learn and improve, it’s an essential part of developing your skills and knowledge.
5. Be proactive
Inevitably, during work experience, there will be times when there just isn’t much that needs doing - it’s part of the process. But instead of loading up Football Manager or watching another video about cute cats on Instagram, be proactive in asking for tasks, volunteering for new projects and taking on additional responsibilities - proofread someone’s copy, scour through the website to make sure that all links direct to where they’re supposed to, take a look through the content calendar to see what’s coming up to try to help the team to get ahead etc.
Showing initiative demonstrates that you are keen to learn and contribute and is one of the best ways to make a positive impression. It shows that you’re looking for ways to add value to the team, which in turn will position you as a valuable asset.
Additionally, taking on new challenges can help you to build your skills and gain experience in different areas. You could also offer to assist colleagues with their tasks, but make sure that you don’t take on too much and miss your own deadlines. Rookie error.
6. NETWORK
Look, as good as you will have been, you aren’t going to be offered full-time work when you log off on your last day. So take advantage of the opportunity to network - building relationships with colleagues and industry professionals can be hugely beneficial in the future.
Join staff when they go out for lunch, ask them about how they got into the industry, ask for tips and guidance, connect with them on LinkedIn and keep in touch to develop your professional network etc.
It worked for me. I did work experience every summer with the same local newspaper through school, college and University and, totally by chance, one day my Dad bumped into one of the reporters at the swimming pool, who happened to know of a new local newspaper starting up in a nearby town that needed staff, so the reporter put a good word in for me. That led to 6 months of paid freelance work and was the start of my professional career.
7. ASK FOR FEEDBACK
The final point because it carries the most importance - ask for feedback on everything that you’ve done. The only way that you’ll learn from this experience is to get things wrong - which we all do - and be shown why it was wrong and how it can be made right by senior members of the team.
Be open to feedback and constructive criticism. It's important to remember that senior team members have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share, and that they want to help you to succeed. By building strong relationships with these individuals, you can learn from their expertise and gain valuable insights. So take their learnings and apply it to your next piece of work.
TIPS FOR WHAT NOT TO DO WHILE ON WORK EXPERIENCE
OK, so now that we know not to rock up with a mohican, to be proactively asking for tasks and taking on additional responsibilities and to be asking questions to learn and give a good account of yourself, what other common mistakes should you be looking to avoid?
1. Don’t be negative
It’s OK not to get things right first-time in fact, it’s expected that you won’t. Even if your work is dissected by seniors in the team and needs a total re-do, don’t be disheartened, it’s essential to remain positive when you encounter setbacks, so take it as a key learning and look to improve next time. Remember, a positive attitude can go a long way in helping you to succeed.
2. Stay off your phone
An easy trap to fall into, company’s get inundated with requests for work experience every year and the worst thing that you can do is to insult the people that have given you an opportunity by constantly being on your phone. It can also be distracting and disrespectful to others. So unless you need your phone for work purposes, it’s best to keep it in your pocket or bag. If you must use your phone, it might be wise to ask for permission first.
3. Don’t be too informal
It’s important to build relationships with colleagues but, as friendly as the staff might be, try to avoid being too informal with your choice of language.
Avoid slang, swear words and calling colleagues “mate”, and avoid discussing topics that are not appropriate for the workplace.
Let members of the team instigate office-wide conversations and, even if you get harsh feedback from staff, don’t talk negatively about anyone. Trust and respect help you to maintain a professional demeanour, which is essential for success.
4. Don’t miss deadlines
Missing deadlines can be detrimental to your work experience. It's essential to manage your time effectively, set realistic deadlines, and communicate with your supervisor or manager if you are struggling to meet a deadline. Remember, being reliable and meeting your deadlines will ensure that you are seen in a positive light by the staff.
5. Don’t assume that you know it all
Whether your top of your class or not, this is the real world and it’s important to avoid the trap of thinking that you know everything. While you may have studied marketing or media in school and have a good grasp of the fundamentals, there’s always more to learn - I’m learning new things all the time, even today.
Be open to new ideas, different perspectives, and approaches that may differ from what you've learnt in the classroom. Remember, work experience is about expanding your horizons and building on your existing knowledge, not simply regurgitating what you already know.
Work experience is a rite of passage and a key step on the road to being a successful full-time employee. It’s something that you have to do, and you have to do well - so be professional, be proactive and be punctual.
Additive, having a successful work experience means that you can then ask the editor for a reference to help you to gain further work experience elsewhere or add to your CV or cover letter for full-time applications.
Be sure to print off copies of all of the work that you've done while on work experience to add to your portfolio.
So good luck with your work experience - let me know in the comments below how you’ve gotten on.
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