Work Experience Year 10 Ideas

Work experience can give you valuable life experience and it also looks good on your university applications and CV, but choosing where to go on work experience can be difficult when some roles don’t allow under 18’s to work there. So if you are struggling with work experience ideas in year 10 you have come to the right place.

In this article, we have 51 work experience ideas for students in year 10 and we are constantly adding new ones. We will also discuss what work experience is, why it’s important and give you some tips so you can get the most out of your work experience.

What is year 10 work experience and when do you do it?

Work experience is a week-long taster of the real world where 15-year-old students (or students in year 10) will be sent into a real working environment for the first time. Year 10 students are introduced to what it is like to work in the real world for the first time and can experience the highs and lows of the workplace but in bite-sized chunks.

Choosing a work place for work experience can be daunting and coming up with an idea on your own can be difficult especially if you don’t know where you would like to work in the future. Don’t worry about this because it’s important to remember that work experience won’t define your future career choices, but will give you a little experience at trying a certain job role out.

While it doesn’t mean you will be stuck with this job role in the future, it could be an advantage if you use work experience in year 10 to try out a potential field that you could be 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.

When I went on work experience, I had a glowing review off my boss and it worked out well for me when I was able to show that in future interviews, so always try your best when going on work experience in year 10.

How to choose the right work experience placement?

I think it’s important to have an idea on what type of work you would like to try, but if you don’t have any ideas keep on reading this article because we currently have 52 ideas for students looking to go on work experience in year 10.

Choosing a work experience placement can be overwhelming and sometimes when you are set on an idea for a placement and don’t get it, it can be disheartening. With that in mind, I would suggest that you have 3-4 ideas on where you could go on work placement.

If you can’t think of a placement 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. 

When I was in year 10 and wanted to go on work experience, I wanted to go to the local law offices, however, someone else in my school had the same Idea and unfortunately for me, I had to choose another placement.

I ended up in the local council offices and I gave my best throughout the week, I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the job, but the people there were really nice to me and they gave me a glowing review that I later would use to land my first real job, so keep this in mind when carrying out your work experience placement even if you don’t enjoy the job.

If you’re still stuck and can’t decide on a work experience placement, here are 52 work experience ideas for year 10 students.

Work Experience Ideas for Year 10 pupils

If you are having trouble coming up with ideas for your work placement here are 52 ideas for year 10 students.

1) Work at a museum

Interested in history? A museum placement could be a great place to go on work experience in year 10. You can learn all about the history of 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.

The average salary for a museum/gallery curator in the UK is around £18,000 to £25,000 with a lead curator earning over £50,000. Not a bad salary at all.  There are many museums in London which you could go on work experience at.

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. Even if you are not an artist, if working with some amazing and creative people is up your street then this maybe a future career choice for you.

Art gallery managers in the UK can earn around £40,181 per year. However, this can vary depending on where you live so it’s important to check out the job opportunities in your area.  Jobs in this field can include art curator, art dealer, auction house specialist, art teacher and an art therapist.

3) Work experience at an art auction

As mentioned above, another great work experience placement for year 10 students is working in 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. A work experience placement here will teach you how to appraise art, how to sell it and the process of an auction, all of which are valuable skills for the future.

4) Work experience 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. Charity shop workers can earn between £23,000 to £47,000 depending on their job role. If your interested in a job that has the potential to pay well while making a difference in the world then a charity shop work experience placement could be a good idea.

You can also Volunteer at places like Age UK to build up your CV too.

5) Work experience at a bank

Could a career in banking be up your street? If so, doing work experience at a bank will be an invaluable experience for you. Learn how to count money, interact with customers and all the security protocols a bank has to follow when handling money. Typical salaries for bank workers in the UK range between £23,000 and £33,000, where-as bank managers can earn up-to £55,000 per year. Salaries do vary by bank and location.

6) Work experience at an accountancy 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. Accountancy can be a challenging yet rewarding career and those who become accountants can expect to work with a wide range of businesses.

Accountants can specialise in different areas of accountancy too and typically an accountant in the UK can make anywhere from £25,000 to £45,000 per year.  

7) Work placement 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 experience 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 placement 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 on work experience

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, and execute and maintain them.

Software developers can work remotely and can often travel the world while working on their projects. Software developers can earn anywhere from £25,000 to over £100,000 depending on location and experience levels.

16) Work at a marketing firm.

Are you creative? A marketing firm work placement could be a good option for you. Working in marketing can lead to many jobs roles including SEO technician, Facebook marketing consultant, Google PPC expert and many more.

Ricky Davies owner of Digital PR Marketing company Weeare says “Working in marketing can be both challenging and rewarding, you get to work on so many different campaigns with many different clients. If you like to work in a fast-paced environment then marketing is a great work experience to undertake.”

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. If you know your way around Photoshop or Illustrator or would like to then going to a graphic design agency on work experience could be a great option for you.

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 experience at a PR company.

PR Companies help get their clients in the news and as the news is constantly changing this is a fast-paced work environment that can be very demanding.  The news never sleeps too so if your a person who doesn’t conform to the typical 9-5 work routine, going on a work placement at a PR company could be an excellent choice for you.

24) Work at a gym.

If your favourite subject at school is PE or you like to workout then why not get paid for it by working in a gym or a related field.  There are many roles you could potentially get by working at a gym and if this sounds like it could be something you would enjoy you may want to consider going on work experience here if you would like to become a personal trainer.

Toby King a personal trainer from TK-Fitness says “I love helping my clients hit their goals and feel better about themselves, it’s a rewarding feeling that I think not many others get to experience.  I also get to keep fit and healthy too, I’d highly recommend a career in personal training and if you want to get started doing work experience in a gym is a good start that’s going to be beneficial to your career.”

Personal trainers can earn anywhere from £18,000 to over £100,000 depending on if they are employed by a gym or self-employed.  If you would like to become a personal trainer, doing work experience at a gym is a good first step.

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. If your dream is to work at The Guardian, The Times, NY Times, or any of the biggest news companies in the world then you have to start somewhere and getting work experience at your local newspaper will help you along in your career.  While it’s a small step, it may be more than enough to set you on your way to your first Pulitzer.

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.  Bloggers can write about multiple topics and are often busy planning and writing content for their own blogs, clients blogs and social media.  

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.  If you want to go on work experience in year 10 at your local police force you may need to speak to your school and the police force to see if they accept students.

31) Work experience 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 experience at 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.  Most restaurants will hire staff throughout the year too so if you make a good impression on your work experience placement then there could be a chance at future work there too which would be paid.

Miguel Ortis restaurant owner at La Bodega says “If you want to work as a chef or front of house, getting work experience at a restaurant could be a way to get your foot in the door and it opens up future opportunities.  Working at a restaurant isn’t easy, but it can be rewarding.  Restaurants are hectic environments and can bring out the best in people.”

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 experience placement at an online business

Working at an online business whether it’s a service business or ecommerce store will give you an indication of what it is like to run a business, which could be something you would be interested in doing in the future.  

Here you can see how businesses market themselves, how they store stock, how stock is delivered to customers and how customers are supported with any problems they may have.

Adeel ul-haq owner of Bunk Beds says “Running a business is tough and going on work experience with an online business is a great way of seeing how much work is put into running one. Getting started with work experience in year 10 will allow you to learn very quickly what happens in the real world.”

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.

Karen Adlam a dog walker at TaffTail says “Working with dogs, cats and other pets is brilliant and such a rewarding job.  If you are interested in working with animals going on work experience in year 10 is a good idea.”

52) Work experience with a private investigator

A private investigator can catch cheating partners, and can look at business fraud and work cases of different natures. If you like the idea of becoming a detective without joining the police then becoming a private detective could be a good career choice for you.

Aaron bond a private Investigator from Bond Rees says “Every day is different and so is every client, you never really know who or what is going to happen when you pick up the phone with a potential client. If you want an exciting but challenging job going on work experience with a private investigator could be the first step.”

Private Investigators are typically self-employed and can earn anywhere from £24,000 a year to over £100,000.

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.