Quite a few graduates tell us that they are concerned they haven’t got enough work experience to secure their ideal role. Sometimes they’re not considering everything they may have done previously – the summer retail job or that term-time bar position – which helped them develop some great transferable skills.
However, in some instances they may have a point. Some roles may require candidates to have quite specific experience in certain environments or with particular types of customer or stakeholder.
What can I do?
If you are worried that you don’t have enough experience, first check if your worries are correct by having a look at job profiles on the Prospects website for the roles you’re interested in. What do the ‘Work Experience and Skills’ sections recommend? Also, look at some advertised roles: mycareer is a great starting point. What experience do employers state that they require in their adverts?
SME internships for graduates
If there are definite gaps in your experience, then you might find it helpful to look at our SME Internship Scheme. As a recent graduate, you’re eligible to take part in an internship through the scheme, as long as it begins within six months of the date of your graduation.
The scheme helps you to find paid internships with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), organisations with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £50 million p/a (over 99% of UK businesses!)
It provides paid work experience of 4 weeks (140 hours), on a part-time or full-time basis, with interns earning at least the National Living Wage. As well as being eligible to take part in opportunities sourced by the Careers Service, you can also source internships yourself and receive funding to work with that organisation.
To find out more about our internship scheme, visit our website today.