One of the shocking realities that hit graduates is the fact that they’re required to have work experience for some roles, even if they’re fresh out of school. For many whose education is their most significant achievement and who have no relevant experience in their field, this can be discouraging and soul-crushing.
Most organizations are looking to hire candidates who can slot into their system easily, with little to no training. Hence, it becomes essential for students to ensure they meet most job posting requirements, even before graduation. This can help you create a compelling entry-level CV showing your experience and expertise.
Getting work experience as a student can be easier than you think. The entry barrier for a student seeking a job is usually lower than at any stage of your professional career. At this stage, the main goal should be getting enough relevant experience in your field and having a feel of what it’s like to work as a professional; everything else is a plus.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
Benefits of Work Experience as a Student.
How To Get Work Experience as a Student.
Where You Can Land Jobs as a Student.
As stated earlier, the primary goal of working as a student should be to develop relevant experience for when you want to join the workforce. But you’ll enjoy other benefits that’ll serve you in the long run.
Let’s discuss some of them.
1. Workplace Awareness: The school and workplace environments are totally different and run on different dynamics. Being in a work environment as a student gives you the knowledge and experience required when you want to enter the workforce.
You’ll be exposed to the intricate details of working for an organization and the risks involved.
2. Skill Acquisition: Working as a student provides you with the necessary practical skills that you can use in your industry. It also contributes to your development and gives you the confidence to include them in your resume.
3. Rich Network: Working in an organization gives you access to experienced professionals who can guide and share opportunities with you. This can be a catalyst for getting a good role after graduation. The professionals in your industry can give you an insight into what you’re getting into and what it takes to succeed there.
4. Confidence Boost: The work experience gained during your school years can help you transition smoothly into your role after graduation. Whether it’s during the interview stage or after gaining employment, your shrewdness will be evident compared to any other candidate without prior experience.
5. Clarity of Purpose: Working as a student gives you the buffer of time to know what your interest really is. If the industry you’re currently in doesn’t excite you as much and you’re looking to transition, you’ll have ample time to do that before graduation. It can also help you identify your area of strength and what you need to improve to compete in the workforce
As a student, there are many ways you can gain work experience and acquire the necessary skills needed in your industry. How you choose to get the experience can depend on many things like your program schedule, level of development, time, etc.
Here are some ways to get relevant work experience as a student:
1. Internship: This is one of the most effective ways to get job experience because you’ll gain graduate-level work experience. Internships are usually about training and guiding you on the necessary things to know about the job and how you can do it yourself. One caveat about this is that most internship jobs don’t involve payment, but the experience and connection you’ll get during your internship program will make up for this.
You can discuss this in your resume and fill in your job experience section with your internship achievements.
2. Volunteer: If you already have a skill or little experience in your industry, volunteering for events or organizations can be a great way to practice your skills and showcase your know-how. This is usually non-paid too, since it’s a volunteering role. However, the experience gained from the platform you have to test your skills will come in handy after graduation.
3. Freelancing: With the constant evolution of technology and the internet, students can now get freelancing jobs, even if they’re not physically available to work in the organization. They are usually remote roles and can be gotten on freelancing platforms or through friends or family.
In freelancing, you can serve more than one client, customer, or organization and work for a range of people as long as you can deliver without letting your grades get affected.
4. Industrial Training: Similar to internship, industrial training is usually a learning process for students too. In most schools, industrial training is usually part of the penultimate-year program to help students gain relevant experience and prepare for life after graduation.
6. Entrepreneurship or Personal Projects: If you have a business or project idea you are passionate about, it wouldn’t be unwise to focus on building it during your school years. You can assemble a team of like minds to help you on your project or business and scale.
Understandably, there will be little resources to carry out some things, but don’t underestimate how much you can achieve with what you have. You might not have it all, but you’ll have enough time to figure things out and get them running before graduation.
You can have the skills and experience, but strategically positioning yourself for job opportunities can be a game changer for you, especially as a student.
You can do so with any or a combination of these methods:
1. Career fair: Regularly attend career fairs and conferences where experienced and less experienced professionals in your industry are gathered. Network with them and ask questions that can help you in your career.
This is also an excellent way to attract potential employers and meet people who are on the same journey as you.
2. Connection: Leverage the people you already know, especially family and friends, and let them know how they can help you or how you can help their business. Bringing your need to their awareness can also lead to referral. So don’t underestimate the help you can get from the people in your circle.
3. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a platform for professionals, recruiters, creators, job seekers, etc. It allows you to connect with your industry peers and other top professionals, and gives you an abundance of job opportunities you can apply for.
4. freelance platforms: Freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr allow you to offer your services to people who need them, in exchange for money. Register on some of these platforms and bid for jobs at your convenience.
Conclusion
As stated before, more than money, you should prioritize experience and skill acquisition when applying for jobs as a student. These will serve you long-term and give you a higher return in the long run.
You can apply for jobs after graduation with confidence and enough experience in your field from the knowledge gained. Just like every other thing in life, combining work with your studies might be challenging, but you can find a balance and see what works for you.
