Introduction
WHAT IS THE INTERNSHIP TOOLKIT ?
The term internship includes work experience , any part-time , term-time or vacation work , voluntary work or placement .
The aim of the pack is to help you to secure work experience or an internship and to help you to reflect on your experience . This will help when you apply for opportunities before and after graduation .
Why is work experience so important ? How will it help me ?
A degree is vital in securing your ideal graduate job , but work experience is also critically important . ‘ Over half of recruiters reported that candidates who have no previous work experience have little or no chance of receiving a job offer ’. High Flyers 1014
Employers will seek evidence of :
• Work experience , in particular the learning and personal development gained from the experience / s .
• Transferable skills developed and applied in the workplace ( in addition to those developed through academic study ), for example communication , oral presentation , team work and leadership .
• Ability to transfer skills and knowledge to new situations .
In addition , work experience is essential in order to enable you to make informed career decisions through exposure to different areas of employment .
Equally , work experience in an area related to that to which you later apply is invaluable in order to convince employers of your motivation .
Remember also that skills and knowledge can be developed through your academic studies and activities such as involvement in clubs and societies , sporting activities or life experience . See the range of opportunities at keelesu . com / activities
Employers tell us that graduates often don ’ t recognise the skills gained through work experience , and as a result fail to present themselves effectively at application and interview .
The Internship Toolkit has therefore been designed to :
• Enable you to secure the kind of work experience you need .
• Help you to recognise the skills and knowledge you have developed through the experience .
• Enable you to identify gaps in your skills and knowledge and plan ahead to fill these .
• Give you a record of your work experience and skills developed as evidence for effective application forms and interviews .
• Provide you with resources so that you can apply your experience in applications and interviews .
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