• Question: What work experience did you do, and how did you get into that?

    Asked by oshing to joykaye, Jincheng Wu, Heather W, Ester, Catherine Mcquillan, Abby M on 18 Oct 2025.
    • Photo: Abby Morris

      Abby Morris answered on 18 Oct 2025: last edited 18 Oct 2025 16:19

      When I was 14 (year 10) my school required that we did a week of work experience and I went to an engineering company which builds devices for analysing materials. I was looking for experience at STEM companies as I knew that was the kind of job I wanted in the future, so I rang around all the related companies in my area asking if I could come and do work experience there. I also had to send over a CV. When I was 17 (year 12), I did another week at the same company followed by one week at a different company that does scientific research. This company advertised running work experience for people my age so I applied straight to that scheme.

    • Photo: Joy Kaye

      Joy Kaye answered on 20 Oct 2025:

      I did my work experience in a completely different industry to where i am working now! I kind of fell into my current career, it happens sometimes! Work experience is hard to find, try writing to local employers. Remember that all work experience can have transferrable skills so even if it is unconnected to your desired career it can still provide valuable experience.

    • Photo: Heather Walton

      Heather Walton answered on 13 Nov 2025:

      At school, I did 5 days in a lab, which I was really lucky to get through a science teacher who had a friend who worked there. I also used my free periods when I was at the end of high school to help in classes for younger students.

      Past that, I actually got paid for my work experience – I worked in a shop from age 16, which is actually great experience for any job and especially useful for all the customer interactions I have done in all my science jobs. Then I did a summer placement and a full year placement whilst at uni, those were both jobs to apply for with applications and interviews, and were a lot of effort to get, especially whilst also studying, but it was so helpful!

Comments

  • Photo: eleanormerson

    eleanormerson commented on :

    I did work experience at a big engineering company in Manchester when I was 14. I checked the drawings when The Trafford Centre was being built to double check that they ordered the right number of doors and windows (they did have a qualified engineer do this too!). Every time I drive past, I think ‘I helped to make that’. I did Materials Science and Engineering at University, and realised I enjoyed the science of ‘how does this work? why is it doing that? how can I make this better?’ as well as the engineering ‘what can I do with this that’s useful?’, so now I do some of both. But I still get the ‘Yeah, I made that!’ feeling that my work experience got me addicted to!

  • Photo: Andrew M

    Andrew M commented on :

    I spent a week in the testing lab of my local maltings, Bairds, working the machines and learning about the processes that go into producing good malt. In some ways it was my first step into analytics. It’s been quite a while but I seem to remember getting the place by spending time with the local business directories trying to work out which might have testing or quality labs. My local library was great for that. Then I sent them letters asking if they’d consider it. Fortunately Bairds said yes and I spent a very happy week there. If you’re interested in Science you’d be surprised how many and how broad the range of companies that employ a small number of scientists are. Almost any business that makes something needs to have some testing to prove that what they make is good, even businesses of fairly modest size.