As an employee of MK PR whose career began following a period of work experience, I have first-hand knowledge of the importance of such opportunities to kick-start your chosen career path.

Whilst studying at university, you will more than likely have a lot of free time, so work experience is vital to set yourself up for post-student life. It is the perfect way to establish which career-path you would like to pursue (and which you would like to rule out!).

Gone are the days of being forced to make tea and sit in a corner whilst filing – people joining us for work experience are very valuable, particularly for an SME like MK. We regularly welcome people seeking work experience into the office – more often than not they are extremely helpful, often giving new insight or a providing a different creative spin to our day to day work.

Before a work experience placement, it’s important to be open about what you hope to achieve during your time at the chosen company and the particular areas you would like to ‘experience’. You should make the most of your time – think of it as a practical interview – showing the (perhaps potential) employer the skills and personality traits you could bring to the team, should an opportunity arise.  Never be afraid to ask if you can return to a work experience placement if you enjoyed it!

At the end of the day, you can say anything in an interview but the best way to know whether a person is right for a job is to work directly with them. Don’t be afraid of carrying out work experience, it could be the first step towards your dream job…..