Types of work experience
Work experience can include:
- Internships - intensive programmes either held over the summer vacation or for up to 3-6 months. Many multinational companies offer internships and often recruit candidates from these schemes.
- Industrial work placements - degree based work experience with a company, usually 6-12 months long.
- Project placements - short-term work on a specific project for an employer, often degree-related, such as the Newcastle Work Experience programme.
- Work-related learning - university-run opportunities enabling you to receive academic credit whilst gaining valuable work experience. The Careers Service offers the Career Development module.
- Work shadowing - sample sessions in the workplace to give a better idea of what employment is like and to observe staff performing key duties. Our Passport to Work scheme offers shadowing opportunities in the retail and hospitality sectors.
- Voluntary work - unpaid work, normally for a cause, see Volunteering for more information.
- Part-time and vacation work - working alongside your studies or in your holidays and can include retail, hospitality, administration and health care but can also be more specific to your degree or chosen career.
- Casual work - infrequent, short-term or one-off jobs.
- Gap year - working and travelling for a year, during or after your degree. See Taking time out for more information and opportunities.
To hear from other students about their work experience, you can read reviews of UK and global work experience placements at Rate My Placement