As I am hoping to study Medicine in university, I opted for work experience in a hospital setting. Though this is difficult to obtain, I managed to get a placement at James Paget Hospital with work in different departments each day. This allowed me to get experience in various specialties, getting a broader view of how a hospital functions. Being able to see surgeries was a really interesting part of the week for me as this is something I had never done before. I talked to doctors and nurses in a range of medical fields and therefore got a much better idea of what a job in a hospital would entail. This was helpful in solidifying my career choice and also narrowing down the specialties I am considering. - Megan Scupham, Y13
I did work experience at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. I really enjoyed helping out with the reed bed management, cutting back and burning areas of reed to promote new growth. I learnt so much about fen conservation, and the importance of humans in sustaining this rare area of biodiversity. During my placement, I also saw how much work goes into maintaining a reserve that is safe for humans as well as animals - there is more to it than you'd think! This placement was very insightful and I would definitely consider a career in this sector. - James Taylor, Y13
EXPERIENCE
- it's important!
WORK
EXPERIENCE
STORIES
A WORD ON MOOCS FROM BRYANNA PALMER, YEAR 13
MOOCS, or massive open online course are weekly online sessions you can take part in through the website Future Learn. If you aren’t able to obtain work experience for the first week back after summer, for example if you're doing it at a different time of the year, you will have to come back to school and take part in these MOOCS, you can either chose them from a list of find relevant ones. I took part in one about forensic science and writing applications. These were helpful as it allowed me to see what my future course would entail and I gain loads of helpful information which I can demonstrate into my personal statement.
Year 13, Jack Chappell was able to complete his work experience with Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, and here is what he said about his time there: “Over the course of the week, I not only discovered the extent of Norfolk business on a national and international tier, but also the potential for growth that lies in the county, all of this encouraged and augmented by the Chamber. The sense of respect and support that I have seen expressed to other businesses are not only values that I will take away, but also values that have been reflected in the team’s treatment of me during my placement here at the Chamber."
Work experience in the Norfolk County Council Communications department taught me that office jobs can be surprisingly exciting! Despite a lot of screen time, the office atmosphere was always buzzing and I had the chance to do a whole variety of tasks from a Youth Parliament consultation with young carers, writing and scheduling social media posts to writing a press release which was published in the Evening News! However, one thing which is true is that offices do consume hundreds of cups of tea! - Emily Oxbury, Y13
For work experience I had the pleasure of working alongside a research psychologist at the UEA. His work looked at human interactions using our eyes. I learnt how eyes subconsciously act as a learning mechanism in which we can learn languages from social interactions and cues. During my week of placement I was able to see equipment frequently used within this field such as eye trackers and EEG as well as learning how to use previously published papers and theories to further develop new theories and understanding of human eye tracking. The work being carries out looks to learn more about how eye contact is limited in those diagnosed as autistic and therefore how this further affects them later in the future. The week allowed me to see an aspect of research psychology and how it seeks to benefit the wider world, inspiring me more to continue in the field. Thank you to Dr Edwards for the great week. - Sara Freire, Y13