You have upcoming work experience. How do you make the most of it? This blog includes some essential tips you can follow to keep employers interested in you (potentially employing you in future) and ways in which you can maximise the benefits of your work experience.

Ask questions

Ask employees and employers alike why they work in specific career fields. What interests them? How do they deal with demanding clients? What do they enjoy the most about their job? And so on. You are there to learn not just by instruction but also by asking questions. The added benefit of asking questions is that employers will be more interested in you and potentially employ you in the future.

Volunteer to assist

Where you feel you can help, or where you currently do not have a task, you can offer to help the employee/employer that is supervising you. They would appreciate your help if they feel they have multiple vital tasks and if they could delegate one of them to you to work on. If they turn you down, do not worry. No harm in offering to help, is there?

Dress appropriately

Dress to impress by wearing appropriate work clothing, depending on where you will be doing the placement. If it is legal experience at a law firm, most certainly wear business attire. If you are working on a construction site, wear construction attire. As obvious as this sounds, this is significant in impressing your peers at the workplace and showing your peers that you care about your work experience placement and respect their dress code. Not to mention that, with the example of lawyers, clients would ideally like to see an appropriately dressed lawyer with a suit, tie, etc.

Have good time-management

Be on time to your workplace. Show your work peers that you care about the work experience placement that they gave you, that you are there to make the most of it, and to learn. With your work, manage your time too. Get work assigned to you done on time. If you need a bit more time, ask for it politely. Time management shows employers that you have the potential to tackle multiple lengthy tasks effectively and on time.

Keep in touch

Professionally, of course. Ask for a business card, ask for a LinkedIn. Tell the employer that you enjoyed working with them and enjoyed the experience. Tell them that it was beneficial for your learning and development. You never know; they may email you or call you in the future to ask if you want to pursue further work.