How do youi go about getting work experience?

[Weaza_cfc]

How do you go about getting work experience? At my school we don't do this, however i feel it would be beneficial for me. I would really love to write in a newspaper when im older, however i'm pretty sure most of my local papers would be shut by the time i get home from school. To get it would i just walk in to their reception one day and ask for work experience?! What do i do? Any suggestions well appreciated!! XOX

[Oneeyedvic]

Best thing if possible is to do through school, second best is to see if you can find a friend or friend of friend who works in the industry. Third best is to write a personal letter to the editor (name will be in paper).

Bear in mind that you will get all the worst jobs and it will possibly not be the best way of seeing what the industry is really like. However, you should be able to get a job as work experience does not pay, and employers love slave labour.

If no success that way, try going to a part time course at your local college on writing - then try writing articles and submitting them to the paper. Again say taht you don't want paying but would like experience.

Good luck

[ursula62]

How about asking your school if you can work on the school newspaper? And if they don't have one, ask the English teacher if you could start one. Employers love things like that, and it can give you more chance of getting a summer holiday job. If school isn't likely, then maybe the local hospital league of friends has a newsletter?

[Bangkok]

It certainly will not do any harm to send a letter to the newspapers asking for work experience.   am sure that most of them will have some sort of work experience program. I did a week with British Rail (when it was still British Rail), and they has an excellent, structured program where I observed 10 different jobs in the week.

When writing to the paper, bear in mind that they will get a lot of requests, so yours needs to stand out.  Be polite, focused, explain why you want to do this and what you hope to achieve by doing it.  Put forward some relevent positive characteristics (mature, responsible, literate, keen to learn etc)

I don't know for sure, but I think it is more likely that you will be sucessful with a local paper than one of the nationals, and that one of the free papers (80% advertising) may positively welcome help!

[Octavius]

Your school should have a dedicated careers advisor who should be able to help you directly.  Either they will have direct contacts and see if you can be offered a placement, or they will help you find yourself one.  If not a careers advisor, then maybe your form teacher, register an interest with a teacher you have faith in and see what goes from there.

There is no harm in being ambitious and bolshy - if you don't ask, you don't get - but your school should be helping you start out.

[ursula62]

If your dad or uncle is in the Round Table / Freemasons / Local football team etc then maybe he can ask his colleagues. He may well know someone who works in publishing without realising it! What about your friends' parents? Do you or your parents go to church/synagogue/temple etc? If so, maybe someone there works for a newspaper and could help you?

Don't be afraid to use any connection, however, tenuous, to get what you want.

[MissSurfer]

I did work exp last year through my school but we had to arrange it independently. I would write to the editor or, I don't know if they'd have one, but the HR (human resources) manager. Local papers are probably easier to get placements with unless you are able to work inner city (ie London)! Also - why not try and get a placement for a week or two in the summer holidays? They'd probably be glad of the extra help as some employees will be away on holiday.

I hope this helps, good luck and have fun when you get a place :)