Work Experience Year 10 Ideas
Work Experience in Year 10 is an invaluable experience where you can get first-hand knowledge about a job or industry that you may be interested in joining in the future. Not only does work experience help you with finding areas that could interest you but it also helps you rule out other areas.
With work experience, you will learn valuable skills that will not only look good on your CV but will also help you when applying for university or jobs in the future.
What is work experience and when do you do it?
Work experience is a week-long session where 15-year-olds up and down the country will be sent into a working environment for the first time. Work experience is carried out in Year 10 and it gives students a little taste of what working life is like.
It’s important to note that work experience doesn’t define your future choices. You may think you want to go on work experience to a vets for example but after working in a veterinary office for a week it may not be something you are interested in.
Students are expected to show up on time, work hard, and make a good impression. A glowing review from your work placement can boost your CV, help with university applications, and even pave the way for your first real job.
How to choose the right work placement
Work placement can be overwhelming, while it’s great to have a dream placement in mind, sometimes you may not get your first, second or third choice, even if you don’t, don’t be disappointed as every placement will allow you to grow.
If you can’t think of a place where you would like to go, think about your goals and your current interests, if you still can’t decide talk to any adults around you, and ask them if they like their jobs or is there something they wish they had done. This may spark your imagination. If you can’t decide, here are a few ideas we have come up with.
Work Experience Year 10
If you are having trouble coming up with ideas for your work placement here are some ideas from us.
1) Work at a museum
Interested in history, a museum could be a great place to go on work experience in year 10. Learn all about the history in your local area or the entire world and give that back to paying customers. There are many museums in the UK and each will have different job opportunities available for year 10 placements.
2) Work at an art gallery
Are you an artist and want to know more about the process of selling your art, then working at an art gallery can be a good placement choice for you.
3) Work at an art auction
If you’re interested in both art and sales then an art auction could be a great choice for work experience. Learn the ins and outs of art auctions and see how valuable art can be.
4) Work at a charity
Working at a charity can give you a whole lot of experience in year 10. You can learn vital skills such as communication, handling money, keeping the shop clean and much more at a charity.
5) Work at a Bank.
Could a career in banking be up your street? If so, doing work experience at a bank will be invaluable for you. Learn how to count money, interact with customers and all the security protocols a bank has to follow when handling money.
6) Work at an accountant firm.
A career in accountancy can be rewarding, especially for those who are good with numbers. Accountants have many areas where they can specialise so going on work experience as an accountant can give you first-hand experience with different types.
7) Work at a consultancy firm.
Consultants can help businesses improve their processes and make more money. If you’re studying any business-related courses at school then a consultancy firm would be a great choice for your year 10 work experience.
8) Work at a car garage.
As a mechanic you can work on everything from everyday normal cars to supercars, you can learn the ins and outs of the automotive world and will learn practical skills that are valuable in the real world.
9) Work at a carpentry business.
If you like woodwork in school then doing a work placement at a carpentry business will not only give you some experience in the world of building furniture but also gives you valuable contacts for when you have left school.
10) Work at a plumbing business.
Plumbing can be a highly rewarding field to work in and doing work experience at a plumbing company can give you a small taste of what being a plumber is like.
11) Work at a library.
Do you love your English lessons and enjoy reading? If so a good work placement in year 10 could be the library. You can learn organisation, communication and money handling skills at a library.
12) Work at a school.
Teaching can be a rewarding job. You can go on placement at a local school to see how teachers plan their lessons and learn the best ways to teach students.
13) Work at an estate agent.
Working at an estate agent on work experience can teach you many skills that you can add to your CV. You can learn everything from sales to photography and everything else in between.
14) Work at a law firm.
Fancy yourself as a future solicitor or barrister? Working at a law firm can give you an insight into their everyday lives and how hard they have to work to win a case.
15) Work at a software firm.
Want to build the next Snapchat or Facebook? A software firm is somewhere you will want to go on work experience. See how programmers plan their projects, execute and maintain them.
16) Work at a marketing firm.
Are you creative? A marketing firm work placement could be a good option for you. Marketing can span many verticals so there’s a good opportunity to learn many skills at a marketing agency.
17) Work at an advertising agency.
An advertising agency will give you a chance to be both creative and analytical. If you are creative or good with numbers then working with an advertising agency could be a good option for your work placement.
18) Work at a graphic design agency.
If you are good at art and want a career in it in the future you have many options to choose from, one of which is working at a graphic design agency.
19) Work at a content marketing firm.
If you like writing, going on work experience with a content marketing firm could be a great choice for you. At a content marketing firm, you could learn how to create a marketing strategy and then execute it.
20) Work at a storage company.
At Urban Locker, we offer self-storage in east London and we have many different roles that we employ people for. Working at a storage company could give you experience in everything from sales to marketing.
21) Work at a construction firm.
If you want a career in building then working in a construction firm during your work experience week could be a good choice. At a construction company, you will learn how they plan their builds, what different employees do and different areas that are needed on a building project.
22) Work at a local council.
Councils often have high job security so if you would like a job you can stay at for many years then working at a council can be a good choice. The council has many areas for opportunity too so going on work experience can give you ideas of places you would like to work within a council.
23) Work at a PR company.
Are you the type of person that likes to be on their phone, monitoring Twitter for the latest gossip then a career in PR could be for you.
24) Work at a gym.
If your favourite subject at school is PE then work experience at a gym could teach you even more about your body and others and generally how to be more healthy. Within a gym, there are various job roles so there is something for everyone.
25) Work at a spa.
Would you like to work in a relaxing environment? A spa could be a great choice for you. Once again there are many roles within a spa including receptionists, massage therapists and more.
26) Work at a sports club.
If you like PE or science then working at a sports club could be for you. There are various roles at sports clubs, everything from a gardener to a physiotherapist or coach. Your local sports club will employ many different roles and it’s a great way to get up and close with your favourite sporting stars by working in roles that assist them.
27) Work in HR.
Are you the type of person who cares how people are treated? If so, a career in human resources could be a good choice for you.
28) Work at a newspaper.
If you enjoy writing and love the thrill of reading the latest happenings from around the world then a career in journalism could be something to consider. Working at your local newspaper may not be as thrilling but even the greatest have to start somewhere.
29) Work at a blogging website.
Bloggers are like internet celebrities these days but behind the scenes, there are a team of people helping these bloggers and influencers out. If you would like to see what it takes to be a blogger then going on work experience with one will help.
30) Work at your local police force.
The world needs more good police officers and going on work experience at your local office is a good first step to take in your career of fighting crime. See what goes on at your local police station and learn how the police force works.
31) Work at a radio station.
If you like celebrity culture or music then working at a radio station is something many don’t consider. Many people will think of Radio 1 but your local radio station may need help too.
32) Work in Hospitality.
Could you be the next Gordon Ramsey? Going on work experience in a hospitality environment will help you learn all about the industry and what is expected from both the kitchen and front of house. Although you won’t be allowed in the kitchen when you are on work experience you will still learn valuable skills that you can take with you for the rest of your life.
33) Work at a research centre.
Want to be a Doctor, Nurse or a Scientist? A research centre is a great work placement that you can go to while in year 10. You can learn everything from the science carried out at the centre to all the paperwork that needs to be filled in when experimenting.
34) Work in retail.
If you are into fashion and see yourself as the next big designer then going into retail on work experience can show you exactly the type of clothing you could be making. Within a retail environment, there are many jobs that you can learn from including merchandising, purchasing and customer service roles.
35) Work in insurance.
Insurance companies have many areas of expertise so going on work experience here can give you a well-rounded skillset that you can add to your university application and CV.
36) Work in communications.
Fancy a career in telecommunications? Companies such as BT employ over 93,000 people and have various job titles available so you can be sure work experience here will learn you new skills.
37) Work in a Cinema.
If you aspire to work in movies or want a job that’s fast-paced and exciting then going on work experience in a cinema is a good choice. When people think of the cinema they may think of scooping popcorn or cleaning screens but the cinema can be more than that. From buying and planning new films to working out staff and film schedules there’s something for everyone at the cinema.
38) Work in a restaurant.
Going on work experience at a restaurant can give you vital experience of what being a chef or front of house staff entails.
39) Work at a food bank.
Work placement at a food bank can be a rewarding experience because you get to help people while learning new skills such as planning recipes and making a budget stretch as far as possible.
40) Work at a youth club.
If you want to work with children when you grow up then working at a youth club can give you a great start to your career.
41) Work at a theatre.
Do you love plays and shows and want to be a part of them in the future? A work placement at a theatre will give you a good understanding of what happens behind the scenes and all of the hard work that goes into the shows you watch and love.
42) Work in a soft play area.
If you love working with kids then getting experience in a soft play area can help. You will learn everything from planning sessions to keeping the place clean. You will also learn communication skills and could even be in charge of taking payment into the soft play area.
43) Work at a hairdresser.
Hairdressers work long hours to make sure they help all of their customers feel better about themselves. Working at a hairdresser on work experience could open up possibilities of having a Saturday job with them in the future too.
44) Work at a golf course
Do you love being outdoors or do you play golf? If so going on work experience at your local golf course could be a good choice for you.
45) Work in a computer shop.
If you build computers as a hobby, like gaming or are interested in IT going to a computer repair shop local to you for a work placement is a good option. You can learn to fix computers, build computers from the ground up or diagnose problems that a system may have.
46) Work at your current school.
Working at a school isn’t just for teachers, at your school, there will be other jobs such as IT technicians, maintenance, or even security. Going on work experience at your school is a good choice for those wanting variety.
47) Work at an architects
Housing is going to be a problem in the future as we are running out of room and there are more of us being born every day. Architects will have to come up with a solution to this and you could be at the very heart of it. If you like art and love the idea of designing a career in architecture could be a great choice for you.
48) Work at a builder’s merchants.
In year 10 you won’t be allowed on a building site for work experience but you could work in a builder’s merchants. Here you can learn about the products builders use, stock replenishment, handling money and customer service. All great skills to put on your CV for the future.
49) Work at a beauty salon.
Work at a beauty salon for your work experience in Year 10 and learn all about the treatments, health and safety and handling money. All very useful skills for a career in the beauty industry.
50) Work at a retirement home.
If you want a career in caring or even nursing, working at a retirement home on work experience can show you the type of work you will be carrying out daily. All the skills learned will be valuable for the future and will help you decide if the work is what you want to do in the future.
51) Work at a dog home.
If you have an interest in animals but don’t want to go to a veterinary practice or maybe someone else has gone there on work experience then a dog’s home can be a great alternative. Not only will you learn to deal with animals but also their owners. Both will look good on your CV and will be useful in the real world.
Networking and work experience
Work experience isn’t just about the skills you gain, it’s also about the connections you make. Networking is a crucial part of career development. The people you meet during your placement might become references, mentors, or even future employers. For this reason it’s very important to take work experience in year 10 seriously and you should act professional at all times.
What should you do if you don’t like your work experience
Sometimes the placement you get won’t be ideal, don’t worry about it and keep it as a learning experience. All jobs good or bad can help us to decide the types of careers we want in the future. If you don’t like your work experience that is ok, not everyone will. It doesn’t mean that the area you chose to work in isn’t for you, it could be the company you work at or it may not be the right time in your life for this type of job.
Work Experience Conclusion
As you can see there are many different types of work experience, all of which can give you insight into potential career paths in the future. As we mentioned earlier in the article, it doesn’t matter if you decide you don’t like the placement you don’t have to stick with that career in the future.
If you don’t like the work placement it’s very important to see it through to the end while giving maximum effort. This way you show future employers that you can work hard and act professionally at all times. Work experience in Year 10 allows you to see what the world is like from a working perspective, if you quit your work experience for any reason, turn up late or don’t act professionally then it doesn’t reflect well on you as a person and potential universities or employers may not want to hire you or accept you in the future.
On the other hand, if you put in a lot of effort, turn up on time, be polite and helpful then not only will you get a good review that you can use in the future but you also get a good connection with people who may hire you in the future. Work experience is great for networking, and you never know, someone who you work with now could be a hiring manager in the future and it could make getting a job easier.
Finally, remember to enjoy your work experience. At times it may seem hard and different from what you are used to but that’s the difference between school and a job. Use this experience to grow as a person and also learn about the different types of jobs out there.
Your school may also not be able to send you to the work experience of your choice, if this happens don’t sulk and try to make the most of it. You may end up surprising yourself and enjoying the work experience more than you thought.