While it ’ s crucial that your child studies hard for their
GCSEs during Year 10 , this is also a good time to encourage them to explore new experiences and interests outside the classroom .
As well as enabling them to take a break from their studies , this will help them to think about what they really enjoy doing , which could inform their career choices . They will also develop a broader range of personal and practical skills that will stand them in good stead for the future . Employers and education providers are not only interested in academic achievements – they also want candidates to demonstrate qualities such as confidence , willingness to take responsibility and the ability to work with different types of people .
WORK EXPERIENCE
Getting some ‘ real-world ’ work experience can be really valuable . As well as looking good on their CV , it will give your child a feel for a working environment and help them narrow down their ideas about the type of career or job they would like . It could also rule some options out , which can be just as useful !
If their school offers work experience placements , encourage your child to take one . Otherwise , talk to your child about the idea of arranging their own work experience .
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD WORK EXPERIENCE
Approaching companies to ask for a work experience opportunity may be a daunting prospect for your child . You can support them by :
• Talking with them about the type of job or sector they are interested in , and spending some time with them researching businesses in your area .
• Offering to help with a covering letter and CV .
• Thinking about whether any of your friends , colleagues or family members have useful contacts – could they put your child in touch with the right person at a relevant company ?
Remember , work experience is still valuable even if your child can ’ t find a placement that matches their career goals . Experience of working with people or meeting deadlines , for example , will be relevant for many different courses and jobs .
During the work experience placement :
• Ask how it ’ s going – what are they are enjoying and what are they finding more of a challenge ?
• Encourage them to get stuck into areas they enjoy .
• Suggest they make time to chat to people who are in jobs they find interesting .
• If they aren ’ t finding it hugely enjoyable , encourage them to think about the benefits in terms of employability skills and contacts .
• Afterwards , talk with them about how it went and what they learned from it . Suggest they note down some examples of lessons learned , problems they solved or skills they gained that could enhance their CV or future course applications .