Work

Experience

A Student Workbook
 Copyright © Christian Education Europe 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from Christian Education Europe.
Work Experience
A Student Workbook
 Contents

What is Work Experience? 3

Career Choices 4

Practicalities 6

General Guidelines 7

What will I be able to do? 8

What should I wear? 9

The company/organisation I shall be joining 10

Arranging the placement 11

Parent’s permission form 12

Interview 13

Work Experience Record Book 15

Work Experience Diary Instructions 16

Diary 17

Student Evaluation 19

Student Report 21

Student Personal Assessment 22

Other Information 26

Employer’s Form 28

Employer’s Assessment 29

Parent’s Evaluation 32

Timetables 33
 What is Work Experience?
Work experience is the term used to describe any experience a person acquires while
volunteering in a professional working environment.
Placements are usually unpaid, although travel and food expenses are sometimes covered, and
a character reference is usually provided at the end of the placement.
The value of Work Experience:

 It gives you an opportunity to get first-hand experience of typical working conditions in

a shop, factory, office or other place of employment;
 It gives you a chance to find out about particular jobs and careers by working alongside
people who are doing these jobs;
 It gives you the opportunity to meet and talk to people who are working for their living
and gives you the chance to ask them direct questions about their jobs;
 It should help you to find out something about your own skills, talents, and interests;
 It should help you see the links between the subjects you are studying at school and
the skills you need in working life;
 It will give you responsibility because you are out on your own and you will be expected
to be punctual, independent, and helpful to others;
 It should help you to understand why industry, commerce, and business are important
for the welfare of the country.

Work Experience is part of your education. You won’t be paid for doing it, but you will be treated
in other ways as if you are an adult worker or a paid employee.

You will undertake normal duties and, by mutual agreement, work normal working hours. You
will be expected to help, to the best of your ability, in the daily work under the supervision of the
other or more senior employees. You will need to take a note of and obey health and safety
regulations and to co-operate with all members of company’s staff. You should wear suitable
clothing.

3 
 
 Career Choices
The first challenge that you will face in embarking on work
experience is to find the right placement. This will need careful
In all thy ways
consideration and prayer. You need to pray about what you
would like your future career to be. Work experience is a great
acknowledge him, and
place to find out if what you think you want to do is the right he shall direct thy
thing for you. Pray about what God’s will is for you, and ask him paths.
to order your steps and direct your path. Ask for advice and
direction from your parents, teachers, and church leaders. Proverbs 3:6
People in your family or church may have significant contacts,
or may be able to give you a placement themselves.  

Think about the following when choosing your career possibilities:

1. What are my interests?

If you want satisfaction in your career you need to enjoy what you do.

 Do you prefer working with people or animals?

 Do you enjoy maths or prefer English?
 What books do you enjoy reading?
 What hobbies do you have?
 Are you an indoor or outdoor person?
 Do you enjoy a challenge?
 Do you get satisfaction through putting things in order and using systems?

2. What are your values?

 What is important to you?

 Do you value financial success or social justice?
 Do you enjoy being spontaneous and fun?
 Do you like working independently or with others?


3. What are your personality traits?

 
 Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
 Are you competitive or cooperative?
 Are you a leader or a follower?
 Are you a ‘thinker’ or a ‘doer’?
 Are you realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising or conventional?

4 
 
Go to https://www.careerkey.org/choose-a-career/holland-personality-
types.html#.WYMM8IjyvIU for more information on each type and to take a career key test to
see which one you are.

4. What skills do you have? Make a list of everything that you are good at

 What do you excel at?

 Do enjoy computer programming?
 Are you good at foreign languages?
 Are you good at teamwork?
 Are you good at managing your time?

5. What are your talents and strengths?

 What are you naturally good at?
 Are you a communicator?
 Are you a developer?
 Are you strategic?

For a full list of strengths go to https://www.strengthstest.com/strengths-finder-themes 

  If any of you lack wisdom, let him

ask of God, that giveth to
all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5

5 
 
 Practicalities
Everybody wants to get a good result from this experience.

Consider what you expect from the firm by way of courtesy, tact, time, speech, order, etc.

What will the firm expect from you? They will anticipate you being on time, appropriately
dressed, well-spoken, able to write good English, etc.

What will your attitude be towards your manager? You need to be confident yet respectful, and
polite. It will show in your tone of voice and eye contact.

Keep a record within this booklet. This is an important document which will contain information
which will be of interest to prospective employers. It could help to write a reference for you in
the future.

Complete each section neatly, accurately and as fully a possible. Use the diary pages at the
back of this booklet to jot down brief observations to aid your memory so that you can make
fuller notes when you have more time.

You will need to write up a positive report afterwards, for your school and your own Record of
Achievement.

Remember, you are an ambassador for Christian Education and your school, so approach this
experience with a desire to please the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In everything give thanks: for

this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

6 
 
 General Guidelines
Work Experience is both a privilege and an opportunity for you and (if applicable) also for your
school.

We are all very grateful for the kind co-operation of our employees and you should remember
at all times to follow the correct procedures.

 Before you arrive at the workplace, you will be given the name of the person to contact,
the telephone number and, if necessary, directions to that workplace.
 If for any reason you are late or unable to attend, a telephone call to the workplace is
essential, and if at all possible, should be made by 8.30a.m.
 On arrival ask for the person to whom you will be responsible and introduce yourself if
you have not already met.
 Be particular about your personal appearance and hygiene.
 Remember that all work places have rules that you are expected to respect.
 If at any time you are unsure what to do, seek advice before you act.
 Always respect other people’s privacy and show courtesy and consideration at all times.
 Remember that you represent yourself, your parents/guardians, and your school and
your behaviour may affect your future placements. You are being placed on Work
Experience as a responsible young adult, and we are confident that you will behave
accordingly.
 You should write a personal letter of thanks to the person in charge of your Work
Experience placement when your period of work experience is over, and thank him/her
for the help and encouragement you have received, including also any constructive
comments you may have.

7 
 
 What will I be able to do?
The sort of work you are allowed to do will depend, of course, upon the organisation.

Some organisations have problems with insurance that restricts the sort of jobs you can do. In
some there are agreements with Unions that do not allow untrained people to do some jobs.

You must always use your common sense and act responsibly.

You may find that sometimes everyone else seems busy and there is nothing for you to do.
Don’t waste time, but watch other people working and perhaps give yourself a project to
complete over the time you have available:

 How do employees do their jobs quickly and efficiently?

 How do they cope with tiredness and stress?
 Do they have boring things to do?
 How do they deal with awkward situations?
 Do the employees enjoy their jobs and what do they see as the “perks”?
 What restrictions are there on young employees perhaps because of Health and Safety
issues?
 How does the organisation cope with competitors in a similar field to their own? There
is even competition between schools to attract pupils, so this question can apply in
areas that you have not considered before.
 How does the organisation fund it operation?

8 
 
 What should I wear?
A few pupils may be doing jobs which are dirty and require old strong clothes, but most jobs
require you to be smart in appearance. This is very important in jobs where you come into
contact with people, e.g. shop assistant, bank cashier, office worker, and hairdresser.

Customers often judge an organisation by the appearance of the staff. If they dress as though
they do not care about their appearance, people may assume that they do not care about
anything else either.

Use your common sense in deciding what to wear. You are not taking part in a fashion show.
Your employer will very soon make it clear whether he/she does not like what you are wearing,
and will expect you to do something about it quickly.

Most jobs will require neat and tidy clothing so you will normally be expected to wear sensible,
well-pressed trousers with a collar and tie, or a tidy dress or skirt and blouse, plus clean,
comfortable shoes, not trainers, except in a warehouse situation.

On Work Experience Days

 Give yourself plenty time – punctuality is essential;
 Ensure that you look smart for those jobs where this is important;
 Check that you have the details of where to go and who to see;
 Make sure you have sandwiches and drinks if these are necessary.

9 
 
 The Company/Organisation I Shall Be Joining
Think about possible people, firms and organisations that you could approach and write them
in the box below:

 
Once you have chosen the company complete the section below with a brief description of the
company or organisation you will be joining. When you are applying for jobs you should always
research an organisation before attending interview as your prospective employer will expect
you to have done your homework beforehand. In addition, collect any materials that you can
during your time with the company as you will be required to write a summary of the business
to help other students make their choices next time.

  

10 
 
 Arranging the Placement
 
When applying for work experience, the best thing is to get in touch with businesses by sending
your CV to them with a short covering email or letter.

This will show that you are making the effort and will give a good first impression.

For further information on writing your first CV go to:

https://successatschool.org/advicedetails/200/Skill-Up:-My-First-CV-Template

Make sure to say in your letter why you would like to work there in particular, it shows you have
done your research and are thinking about them.

Find out the name and email address of the company manager to write to. Don’t send your
email to a generic address like info@mycompany.com unless you are told to, as it might go
straight in the spam bin. Be brave and pick up the phone if you cannot find the information
online.

Be patient – it may take a little while for them to reply to you.

Once the placement is confirmed, make sure you receive a job description from them and find
out if you need an interview prior to starting.

If you do, read through the following pages and be well prepared.

Do not worry or panic about the interview. This will be a great experience for you, and the
company will be keen to help you succeed.

Ask your parents to complete the following form and return it to school.

11 
 
 Parent’s Permission

We, _______________________________________________
(insert name/s)

Parents/carers/guardians* of ______________________________
(insert name)

Give our permission for our son / daughter* to attend Work Experience at:

______________________________________________________________
(insert name of company)

From _______________ to _______________ (insert dates)

We will take responsibility for travel arrangements and food as usual.

Signed: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

12 
 
 Interview
This is an opportunity for your employer to meet with you and for you to find out what will be
involved, where you will be working, what hours you will be expected to work, etc.

When you have received your job description, carefully read through it, this will give you pointers
for your interview.

Making the appointment:

This is best done by you in person, rather than by someone else. You may find this hard, but
make sure you are well prepared by going through the checklist below:

 Check that you have all the details of your placement and the name of the person you
are calling
 Have a pen and paper ready to take down notes
 Ring the number and ask for the person you need to speak to by name
 When asked who is calling, speak clearly and say that you are calling about a placement
for work experience
 If you are unable to talk to the person, ask when would be a convenient time to call back
 Make a record of your interview details below:

Company:

Contact person:

Number to call:

Date of interview:

Time of interview:

Address:

13 
 
Prior arrangements:

Make sure you know how to get there, and how long it will take you, so that you arrive on time.
You do not want to give a bad impression by being late!

Allow plenty of travel time to ensure you arrive unflustered and calm.

Presentation:

Dress neatly, so that you look like you are taking the interview seriously.

If you are not sure what to wear, ask your contact at the company, what would be appropriate.

Communication:

When you arrive at the company report to the Reception or main office, and give your name
and the name of the person you have come to see.

Try to look the person you are meeting in the eye.

Be polite and smile, shake hands when you arrive and leave.

Speak clearly, confidently, and loud enough to be heard.

Try to think about your answers, do not just give ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers.

Try to give positive answers, even if you are not sure what to say.

Some questions you may be asked are:

‘What do you want to do when you leave school?’

‘Why did you choose this company?’

‘What qualifications do you expect to achieve?’

Some questions you may want to ask are:

‘What kind of work will I be doing?’

‘Is there anything I need to bring?’

‘How should I dress?’

‘Who should I report to on my first day?’

14 
 
 WORK EXPERIENCE RECORD BOOK
Name:

Address:

Telephone number (including STD code):

Date of Birth:

Signed: Date:

WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT DETAILS

Name of work place:

Address:

Telephone number:

Email:

Contact person:

Position:

Initial contact made Date: Initials:

Reply received Date: Initials:

Parental permission Date: Initials:

received
Dates set:

15 
 
 Work Experience Diary
Instructions
You are required to keep a diary while you are on Work Experience. It is important that this is
completed regularly every day.

The diary should be recorded on the following log sheets. If there is not enough room provided
in the booklet, use extra sheets.

In your diary you should include answers, where relevant, the following questions:

 What time did you arrive and leave, and how was this checked?
 What breaks were you given and how were they spent?
 With whom did you work each day?
 What tasks and training were given each day?
 What machines/equipment did you have to use?
 What special clothing or protection was required?
 Were you responsible for anything or in charge of anything?
 What tasks did you like most?
 What tasks did you like least?
 What new skills/facts did you learn today?

16 
 
 Student Diary
Interview If you have had an interview, answer the questions below
What was the name of the person who interviewed you?

What was his / her job title?

What were your feelings and impressions about the interview?

In brief, what questions were you asked and what did you reply?

What questions did you ask and what were your answers?

What advice did the interviewer offer to you?

Did you feel the interview went well?

What things did you feel you could have improved?

17 
 
 Day 1
Describe your introduction to the Company and the people in it

What special instructions were you given? E.g. on Health & Safety?

How did your colleagues make you feel welcome?

How did you feel about your first day’s work experience?

Day 2
How did you feel about coming to work on Day 2?

What did you do?

Days 3, 4 & 5
Are you beginning to feel ‘at home’ in your work?

Have your colleagues changed their attitude to you during the week? How?

18 
 
 Student Evaluation
How do you feel at the end of it? Are you glad it is the weekend?

Has your approach to work changed? How?

Describe more fully some of the tasks that you have completed this week:

What have you achieved this week?

Did most of the people you met enjoy their jobs fully? If not, what drawbacks did they
mention?

Does the company have opportunities for further training? If so, where? On the job? In a
special training department? At a college? Somewhere else?

Can you see any connections between the subjects you study at school and the skills you
may need in your working life?

19 
 
 Are you pleased with your overall performance at work during the week? If so, in what
respects? How could you have improved upon it?

Would you like to continue working with this or a similar organisation?

20 
 
 Student Report
To be completed by the student on, or just before the final day, if possible

Consider each of the categories listed below, and give yourself an honest grade.

Grades: A Excellent

B Good

C Fair

D Poor

Category Grade
Punctuality
Appropriate appearance
Ability to communicate and mix with staff
Politeness and courtesy to staff and public
Ability to understand instructions
Capacity to work without supervision
Willingness to undertake any tasks demanded
Attitude to work and people in authority
Display of initiative
General behaviour
Confidence
Interest
Any other comments?
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Signature: Date:

21 
 
 Student Personal Assessment
This questionnaire has been designed to find out what you thought about your work experience.

1. What problems did you have?

2. During your time did you:

 Go on a tour of the place of work? Yes / No
 Work on one particular job all the time? Yes / No
 Work on several jobs in different departments? Yes / No
 Observe other people at work on different jobs? Yes / No
3. What work did you do? Write a list of your duties and jobs:

4. Did you enjoy your experience? What aspects were most enjoyable?

5. Did you find the experience useful? If so, why? If not, why?

6. What aspects of the job did you find easier than expected? More difficult than expected?

22 
 
 7. In what ways did you find going to work different from going to school?

8. What did going to work tell you about yourself? Write ‘more’ or ‘less’ next to each category:
Self-confident Friendly
Punctual Patient
Considerate Helpful
9. What skills and subjects did you make use of?

10. What skills that are needed at work do you think should be taught at school?

11. Did you find out about:

 Hours of work? Yes / No
 Training opportunities? Yes / No
 Qualifications needed to get a job? Yes / No
 Pay and prospects? Yes / No
 Job vacancies? Yes / No
12. What were the worst points about your Work Experience?

13. What were the best points of your Work Experience?

14. What do you think you have learned from your Work Experience?

23 
 
 15. Can you think of any ways in which the Work Experience might have been improved or made
more enjoyable, useful or interesting?

16. Did your experience help you make progress in your:

 Ability to solve problems? Yes / No

 Ability to make logical decisions? Yes / No

 Ability to work as team? Yes / No

 Understanding economic pressures? Yes / No

 Understanding the role of management? Yes / No

 Understanding the need for delegation and

Yes / No
accountability?

 Understanding the need for rules and work discipline? Yes / No

17. Would you like to make your career in this kind of work? If not, why not?

18. If yes, which job would you like to have?

19. Do you think you could do that job if you were properly trained?

20. Did anyone mention the possibility that you might be able to take up a permanent job there?

21. Has your time of work experience helped you in any way to have a clearer idea of what you
would like to do when you leave school?

22. What type of work would you like to do when you leave school?

24 
 
 23. Using the information recorded above in questions 1 – 22, please write a short paragraph that
will be useful for a ‘personal statement’ in your school progress file.

If applicable, please return this booklet to the appropriate person in your school.

Signature: Date:

25 
 
 Other Information
The ‘Employer’s Form’ should be sent to the company as soon as the placement has been
agreed.

The ‘Employer’s Assessment’ should be given to the employer on the first day of the
placement.

Write a letter of appreciation after the work experience has taken place.

Confidentiality

During your placement you may come across confidential information, such as health
records, financial details, personal information, etc. You must not disclose this information
to any of your family or friends. If you do so, it is a very serious matter.

Taking a day off

If you cannot attend, you must telephone your employer at the start of the working day to
let them know why you cannot attend and when you expect to be back. You must also let
your school know.

If you have a problem

Do not be afraid to talk to your employer if you encounter any of the following:

 You have a problem with work

 There is something you are unsure of
 You are asked to do something different to what was agreed in your interview. Ask
why?
 You feel unable to do something
 You find the work difficult
 You have a serious problem with a colleague

Do not just walk away, sulk or not return the next day. Talk to the employer in a calm and
mature way. They will listen and help you if you do so.

 Ask for something to be explained

 Ask for any special instructions
 Ask for them to be repeated if needed

26 
 
 
Health and Safety

Your employer is responsible for making sure where you work is safe; however, YOU are
responsible for your own safety and the safety of others. Make sure you obey ALL safety signs
in the workplace.

You should be shown how to work safely on your first day and given information on the
following:

 Fire Safety
 First Aid
 Safety Equipment
 Clothing
 Machinery
 Any safety instructions pertinent to the job that you will be doing

Safety Signs

Red circle on white with a black picture = Stop! Do NOT do!

Blue circle with a white picture = Mandatory – MUST do

Green square or rectangle with a white picture =

First Aid and Escape

Black triangle on yellow with a black picture = DANGER or WARNING

Safety Essentials


 Ask before starting something you have not done before
 Always ask someone if you think something you will be doing will be dangerous
 Be smart – accidents can happen in a split second
 Report anything that seem damaged, faulty or dangerous
 Never cut corners
 Never play around the workplace
 Always walk – never run
 Be tidy
 Always wash your hands after handling things like chemicals or animals
 Ask for help if an object is too heavy to lift

27 
 
 Employer’s Form
To the Employer:

Disclaimer:

 The student should not receive any remuneration in the time they are with you
 The school appreciates that you will be taking time to explain the business to the
student and that this will disrupt, to an extent, the normal activities of your business
 Our aim is that our student will experience your work environment as realistically as
possible.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name of company: ___________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

Phone number: ___________________________________________________

Email: ___________________________________________________

To whom should correspondence / phone calls be addressed?

Name: ___________________________________________________

Contact number: ___________________________________________________

Contact email: ___________________________________________________

 Do you provide a cooked lunch that the student would be

Yes / No
expected to join?

 If so, what is the cost?

 Are you insured for a student aged _____ to be on your

Yes / No
premises?

 What exposure to work will be available to the student?

 What are your normal working hours, that you would expect the
student to work?

 What time should they arrive on the Monday?

 What time allocation is allowed for breaks/lunch?

 Do you have any special travel arrangements for your

employees that the student could properly join in with?

 What kind of clothing should the student wear?

28 
 
 Employer’s Assessment
Name of student:

Name of school (if applicable):

Name of company:

Name of contact:

Name of person filling in this assessment (if different from contact):

Please complete this assessment for each work experience student. Your comments may be
discussed with the student. It will form part of their progress file and may be used as part of a
reference letter. Please mark each category as appropriate.

Needs
Work Habits Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory N?A
Improvement

Time Keeping

Performance

Ability to follow
directions
Completes work
required
Works well
independently

Social Needs
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory N/A
Improvement
Development

Is courteous

Gets along well

with others
Communication
with colleagues
Shows respect
for authority
Exhibits self
control

29 
 
 Needs
Skills and Abilities Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory N/A
Improvement

Oral skills

Written skills

Number skills

Practical skills

Analytical skills

Adaptability

Co-operation
Ability to work in
a team
Quality of work
produced
Quantity of work
produced

Personal Needs
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory N/A
Improvement
Development

Flexibility

Creativity
Success in
reaching
objectives
General overall
progress
Exhibits self
control
Confidence
Personal
appearance
Enthusiasm and
effort

30 
 
 Please give further details below, or attach a letter if appropriate. Your comments will
help us to prepare a reference for the student in the future.

Signature: Date:
31 
 
 Parent’s Evaluation
Your son/daughter is taking part in Work Experience. Your opinion of the experience and its
effect on your son/daughter is most helpful in evaluating it.
Please fill in this brief questionnaire.
Name of student:

Work placement:

1. How valuable has work experience been for your son/daughter? E.g. in terms of
increased confidence, interest and motivation?

2. What do you feel your son/daughter has learned?

3. Were they unduly tired at the end of the Work Experience?

4. Has Work Experience affected the career ideas of your son/daughter?

5. Please add any suggestions or comments you wish on the Work Experience provided.

32 
 
 Timetable
Use this to plan your day, if appropriate

a.m. p.m.
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

33 
 
 Timetable
Use this to plan your day, if appropriate

a.m. p.m.
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

34 
 
Christian Education Europe
Maranatha House
Unit 5, Northford Close
Shrivenham
Oxfordshire SN6 8HL
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1793 783783
info@christian.education
www.christian.education
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