I’m just coming to the end of a months internship, and I’ve been feeling really lazy in terms of blogging. I think it might be the thought of sitting down day after day searching for any possible hope of a paid job that really makes me not want to even look at my computer let alone touch it – so I haven’t.
However, something’s been playing on my mind since my first week at the internship or work experience (what actually is the difference?). When I was waiting for my badge, and all the necessary paperwork had to be checked off by a complete jobs-worth – we all know the kind of person I mean – I was asked why was I there. I told her that I was doing work experience, which was when I was told ‘work experience is for school children’ not for someone of my age.
I’m sure it shouldn’t bother me, but it does. It feels like she’s suggesting that by now I should be doing something more than work experience, thus failing at adult life completely.
Cheers Deborah – I already know I can’t adult. You don’t need to rub it in.
I have done a few work experience placements overall but, excluding the current one, I have been in full time education when I’ve done them which has somehow made it acceptable.
Just a thought…. But is that when I’m meant to start calling it something different? Like an internship… or just a placement maybe?
I won’t lie to you, I don’t think this will be my last, but it has made me think a lot about other peoples views on my choice to gain experience and not be working full time already. (FYI I went travelling for a while, hence my actual unemployment status).
The thing is this work experience has been one of the best things I’ve done. It’s given me such an insight into a possible career choice for me, a good try before you buy situation. Plus it’s given me a massive confidence boost because thank the lord I can actually do the job that I’ve studied at university for 3 years and it hasn’t been a waste of money.
(It’s definitely not been a waste of time – university was amazing!).
And another thing, now days it seems you can have all the qualifications you need, but apparently without tons of work experience you still can’t get a job. Unless you’re a lucky p***k who knows the right person – we all know it’s who you know and not what you know.
I know I’ve basically just sat here and ranted, but I’m genuinely interested in knowing your thoughts on this – can you actually be too old for work experience? Is there a point when you should probably just deny it, because I’m 24 and still feel pretty young, but now I’m not so sure.
For now though, I’ll take what I can find, be it a job (please be a job) or a form of work ex/placement/internship. Right, let the search begin…. (Might just sob into a pillow now).
The 60th Avenue 