KES

WORK
This booklet is
EXPERIENCE
designed to help you
INTRODUCTION
find your ideal
BOOKLET
placement for Work
2023-24
Experience.

You will receive

July 1st-5th 2024 further guidance on
doing your Work
Experience nearer the
time, in assemblies, in
form time and via
Teams.

Talk to your parents

about this exciting
opportunity – it is part
of your curriculum
entitlement at high
school.

GOOD LUCK!
Contents
2-3 Introduction
4-5 Finding a placement
6 Starting your search
7 Contacting a workplace
8 Your personality and skills
9-10 Writing about yourself
11 A letter of application
12-13 How to make a phone call
14-15 The interview – what to do and what not to do
16 Summary of next steps

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Work Experience Monday 1st July – Friday 5th July 2024
We are excited that this year we are able to offer the opportunity for Year 10 to partake in
work experience. It is incredibly important for students to enjoy experiencing the world of
work first hand. Furthermore, with the current economic environment, employers place a
high value on relevant work experience and an opportunity to demonstrate good
employability skills.

Parent and Student Information

Work experience is when students spend time in an adult working environment carrying out
tasks and duties more or less as an employee. The placement will not necessarily reflect the
eventual career choice of the student but should allow a broad experience of the workplace
and an opportunity to develop skills for the future.

The Benefits of work Experience

Work experience helps students to:
• Understand the world of work.
• Improve and appreciate their skills and talents.
• Gain confidence.
• Accept the importance of school work and achieving good qualifications.
• Gain knowledge of particular jobs or careers.
• Include experiences on application forms and in interviews.

Finding a Placement
Each student should aim to find a work experience placement by March 1 st, 2024. Once a
placement is agreed, they can then begin the process on Unifrog.

Parents can help their son/daughter by:

• Discussing types of work placement that would be of interest
• Asking friends and family with work connections
• Supporting them with their contacting employers

Once the placement details have been entered in Unifrog, the school will
receive a notification updating us on:

• Name and address of placement provider

• Contact name, telephone number and email address.

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Employers will be contacted directly by Unifrog to upload:
• Workplace details and contact information of the supervisor responsible for the
student.
• Hours of work.
• Health and Safety regulations and rules.
• Insurance documents – usually Employee Liability Insurance certification.
• Risk Assessments applicable to young or new staff.
• Any specific information we need to consider before the placement begins.

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Finding placements
Thinking of ideas for work experience can be a challenge, and if you don’t live in an urban
area, it can feel like there are very limited options. Rather than trying to find the ‘perfect’
opportunity, look for a placement that ticks as many boxes as possible.
Instead of focusing on
If you’re really stuck
one specific job role,
consider the wider career If you really can’t think of an area of work you want to find a placement in, or
decide which subject you like best, try asking yourself these questions:
industry. For example, it
may not be possible to • What am I good at?
shadow an anaesthetist, • What are my interests and hobbies?
• What jobs have I seen other people do that I think look interesting?
but you could explore
other roles in the Or you could just go for something different, or for a job that you know little
healthcare industry like about. Work experience is all about giving you an insight into the world of
work. It doesn’t have to be in a career that you would choose in the future.
working in a dental
practice, nursing home, Talk to your family, friends, teachers and careers adviser for some ideas.
or GP clinic. These will all Now that you have some ideas jot down your thoughts and: make a list of the
give you relevant top 10 placements you would like, imagine the kinds of things you might do on
experience that you can your placement try to be realistic remember that you won’t be given a lot of
still learn from and responsibility ask yourself if the placement is realistic for someone your age,
expect to do some repetitive and easy tasks – everyone has to when they start
reflect on in your
a new job!
applications.
You could also think about the transferable skills that are relevant across industries to help
you find a placement. For example, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to find work experience
as an air steward, but you could reach out to customer services departments as the staff will
use very similar skills in their day to day jobs.
Or you can think about experiences that are relevant to the school subject that is most
related to the job or industry you’d like to go into.
For example:
• History, Geography and Classics: museums, archive offices, National Trust sites,
tourist attractions, architects, planning departments in the local councils.
• Art and Design: galleries, workshops, branding departments, and architectural firms.
• Drama and Performing Arts: talent agencies, local theatres, music venues, local
events spaces, and drama departments in schools.
• English and Modern Languages: foreign language classes, translating companies,
local newspapers and radio stations, libraries, publishing houses, advertising
agencies, blogs, and local councils.
• Design Technology and Hospitality and Catering: engineering firms, architects, motor
vehicle technicians and servicing garages, heating, electrical, construction and
plumbing, restaurants, cafes, catering facilities in large workplaces.
• Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering: water works, research and
development departments at a local factory, energy/oil/gas companies, local

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 pharmacies, local airports or aerodromes, local astronomy observation centres,
automobile and aviation manufacturers, farms, garden centres, plant nurseries,
laboratories, agriculture and horticulture.
• Sport and physical education: leisure centres, gyms, sports clubs and arenas,
physiotherapists, outdoor education venues, junior schools, martial arts studios and
health and fitness clubs and spas.
• Medical Sciences, Human Biology, Health and Social Care: pharmaceutical
companies, dental practices, nursing homes, local hospitals, GP or walk in clinics,
opticians, chiropractors, and podiatrists, infant schools and nurseries.
• Computer Sciences: app development companies, IT security companies,
programming companies, tech start-ups, and school IT departments.
• Maths: finance departments, accounting firms, insurance firms, tax firms, HR
departments, and banks.
• All subjects: primary, infant and nursery schools, local blogs and magazines, local
societies or study groups, supermarkets, stores, libraries, charities and local councils.

Start your search

Now you’ve got a list of the type of placements you want, it’s time to find one! Remember that
you won’t be the only student looking for a work placement – not in your year group at school or
in your local area either.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to finding companies and organisations you can ask for work
experience:

Step 1 – If someone in your family works somewhere interesting, you can ask them if they’ll
contact their manager or human resources department for you.

Step 2 – Ask neighbours and family friends if their work would consider you for a work
placement.

Step 3 – If you already know of an organisation that interests you, do a web search for their
contact details.

Step 4 – Find employers in your local area by looking on Google Maps, www.yell.com or
www.thomsonlocal.com. Just type in your postcode and the kind of company you’re looking for.

Step 5 – Read job adverts in the local newspaper to find employers in your area.

Step 6 – Think of companies you pass by when you are on your way to school or out shopping.
Many students think of shops and local hairdressers as good placements, so there may be lots of
you trying to go to the same place. Try to think of some different companies too.

Step 7 – Be willing to travel to other areas, as long as it’s not too far or expensive to get there.
This will give you more choice and open up other opportunities. Find out how you will get there!

Get in touch
Once you have a list of companies, the next step is to contact them.

• If the company is small and in the local area you could drop in and speak to them.
• Larger companies may require a letter and CV. You will need to ring up the company and
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ask who organises work experience. Some larger companies put this information on their
websites.
6
Finding contacts and how to message them
When organising work experience, try to be realistic. You are unlikely to be allowed access into the
head office of a national organisation with no prior experience. Look for local businesses or people
with whom you already have a connection - like the parent/carer of a fellow pupil, a family member,
a friend, etc.

If you don’t have any contacts, or aren’t sure where to start,

Make the phone call.
speak to your form tutor or other staff in the school, they will
be pleased to have been asked and keen to help. You can also Lots of young people find it a bit
contact Mr Humphreys and Mrs Steward via Teams. scary to call an employer. Even some
adults get nervous phoning
Once you’ve decided where you want to work and have a companies. The more you do it, the
contact, you actually need to contact them. Don’t rely on a easier it will be – you’ll soon wonder
parent or your school to contact them for you! You need to what you were worried about. There
show that you can be confident and professional, even if you are is guidance on page 12 of this
nervous! booklet.

Write either a formal email or letter - even if you know the

person you are contacting - and have someone else read it before you send it to check it for errors.
Make sure you include:

• the days or dates on which you would like to complete your work experience - make sure to
give them plenty of time; the dates are July 1st to 5th, 2024!
• why you would like to complete your experience at this organisation- what do you want to
learn? What do you want to experience? Some research would help here - maybe they have
great customer reviews or are among the top ranked
businesses locally? Maybe they have created a new way Writing a formal application letter
of doing something and you want to learn how
managed this? First impressions count – and a poor
letter sent without thought could ruin
• what you can offer them - that’s right: you can’t get
your chances. See pages 8 to 11 for
something for nothing, so bowl them over with your
guidance on what to include and how
skills and how your time with them will benefit them, to write it.
even if that is admin support or helping out busy
employees with their workload.

Remember to use your school email address at all times.

You should include a copy of your CV with your email/letter to offer more detail. You can actually
build your CV directly on Unifrog and get lots of help and guidance as you write it.

The interview
Many workplaces will ask you in for an interview, to see if you will be suitable. There is guidance
on how to approach this on pages 14-15 of this booklet.

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Finding the work experience placement that’s right for you
Before finding your work placement think about what your interests are and what you are good at.

Employers always look for specific personal and social skills and qualities in their workers and some
of these skills are key skills (communication, numeracy, literacy, working on own initiative, team
working, IT, coding skills etc) which you may need to demonstrate.

You should also understand that we are all different – our personalities are who we are and
sometimes our personal attributes/personalities do not always suit the type of job we think we
would like to do. For instance, someone who is quiet, shy and who prefers to work on their own may
not be best suited to a job in a busy shop or in a sales role where they would have to approach
strangers.

Try to identify your particular personal and social skills and attributes from the list below (please be
honest) and then tick the type of career you would like. Remember as you learn in life your skills and
personality may change as you learn and develop as a person.

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Putting your skill into sentences
Here are some phrases that you can use to describe your skills. You can use them as they are or
write your own.

Communication Skills:

• I have good communication skills, with the ability to deal with people in a polite and friendly
manner.
• Able to communicate well at all levels.
• Excellent telephone manner
• Excellent communication skills with customer the ability to build a good rapport.

Time Management:
• Ability to prioritise own workload and to meet deadlines.
• Good organisation skills.
• Experience of working towards deadlines.
• Good time keeping and attendance record.
• Ability to plan and implement tasks.

Working as part of a team or alone:

• Reliable and co-operative team member.
• Ability to work as part of a team or alone using own initiative.
• Ability to contribute effectively to a team approach.

Here are some more general phrases:

• Experienced in using…
• Proven practical skills and knowledge of...
• Proven customer care skills, with experience of working with children/animals/people
• Computer literate with basic keyboard skills and excellent knowledge of....
• Quick to learn new skills, such as….

Putting your personal qualities into sentences

Look at these examples and use them to write a few of your own.

• Sensitive and understanding towards others.

• A responsible and reliable individual.
• Good sense of humour and a friendly disposition.
• Fast learner, with the ability to master new skills quickly.
• Ability to quickly adapt to new situations.
• Good time keeping and attendance.
• Able to demonstrate good attention to detail.
• A practical and active individual, who enjoys problem solving and logical thinking.
• Able to remain calm whilst working under pressure.
• A self-motivated individual, with a flexible attitude towards work situations.

I am able to ...................................................................... I am a ................................individual. I

am ........................................................................ and ...................................................................... .

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Well done – you have collected a list of your skills and personal qualities. This is often the hardest
part of doing a CV or job application.

You can now write your personal profile - A personal profile in a few sentences. It tells an employer
about your skills, qualities and what job you are looking for.

These examples might help as well.

Beginnings

• A practical, hardworking and reliable individual

• A punctual and dependable student
• A reliable and confident person
• A caring individual with good.....
• A self-motivated, enthusiastic young person who....
• A sociable and lively individual who enjoys..

Middles

• With previous experience of working in ....

• With proven administration and keyboard skills
• Who enjoys practical skills
• Who is a quick learner, flexible and enjoys working as part of a team

Sentence Endings

• Seeking a work experience

• Seeking experience with the opportunity to develop further in ...
• Seeks the opportunity to gain new skills in.....
• Seeks experience and knowledge in.......

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Guidance in writing a formal letter of application.

Your address
Email
Telephone Number
The date
Contact name (if you have one)
Job Title (e.g., HR Manager)
Company Name
Address
Town
Post Code

Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs (Surname)

Re: Work Experience Placement – July 1st to 5th, 2024

Introduction – Introduce yourself and say you attend King Edward VII Academy, King’s Lynn.

Why the area of interest? – Say what draws you to the job or industry. You could also explain
why you think you are a suitable candidate. You need to sound motivated and extremely
interested in the opportunity.

Why the company – It is important to make it clear that you have done your research and
understand the role you are applying for.

Why you? – This is your chance to sell yourself. Explain any relevant experience and why these
would be of great use to the company or the role you have applied for. Be positive and
enthusiastic. Try not to sound arrogant or exaggerate too much, if you are invited for
interview you will have to back up any statements you make here!

Conclusion – Finish with “I look forward to discussing my application with you in further
detail” or “I am available for interview at your convenience.”

Yours (sincerely if you have the contact’s name or faithfully if not)

Your signature

Your name - printed

The same formalities apply to an email. Do not write in the same way you
would to a friend – first impressions are crucial!
Give what you are writing a lot of thought and ask someone reliable to check
your email first – such as your form tutor!

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How to make a speculative phone call to a company to gain a work
experience.
What to do
The telephone is the fastest means of communicating with an employer. Learning how to
use the telephone correctly could help you to get an interview.
1. Before you make the call
Know: -
• Where you are ringing, get the number right!
• Who you want to speak to
• What you are going to say
2. Be Organised
This is your chance to make your first impression, be prepared and confident:
• Write the person’s name on a notepad
• Have the notepad and pen ready
• Make a list of things to ask
• If you are using a mobile phone, make sure you have plenty of credit
3. Make The Call
• Make sure there are no loud background noises, i.e. music, loud voices and laughter.
• Speak confidently and clearly, don’t mutter
• Use your natural speaking voice; don’t ‘put on’ a posh one!
• Listen to the person and answer their questions concisely, but not abruptly
• Understand what you are told
• Never eat, drink whilst making the call
The telephone call to ask about work experience with a builder would go something like
this:
You “Hello, is that Watsons Builders?”
Watsons “Yes, it is.”
You “I’d like to speak to Mrs Ambrose, please.”
Mrs Ambrose “Mrs Ambrose speaking, how can I help you?”
You “I’m a student from King Edward Academy in King’s Lynn and I have a work experience
week coming up in July. I am really interested in becoming a builder in the future and
wondered if you could offer me one weeks work experience with your company.”
Mrs Ambrose “When is the work experience week?”

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You “July 1st to 5th, 2024.”
Mrs Ambrose “Would you be able to come for an interview this Friday afternoon at 3.30?”
You “Yes thank you, that’s fine, where exactly do I go?”
Mrs Ambrose “Come in at the main reception area, ask for me and bring your references and
C.V.”
You “Thank you Mrs Ambrose, I’ll be there for 3.30 on Friday.”
If you have to make an application by phone it’s best to practise what you will say with a
friend or relative first. If the person you want to speak to is not available when you
telephone, ask when they will be there so that you can ring back; don’t leave it up to them
to make contact with you.

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What to Do at an Interview
Remember, you’ve got as far as the interview stage, therefore the employer is very
interested in you – you wouldn’t be there otherwise. This is your big chance to impress and
convince the employer you are the best person for the job. It’s up to you to make the best
impression – You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
Not all interviews are with just one person. You may have 2 or 3 interviewers, answer
directly to the person who asks the question (don’t try answering the panel generally),
keeping good ‘eye contact’ with them but don’t stare. You may have to meet the manager,
and then he may introduce you to the employee you will be working with.
Remember, interviewers are human too!

Before the interview

Do – find out about the firm, what it does, how many people work there and the range of
work. This shows you’re interested in working for them. Look them up on the internet.
Do – think very carefully about your appearance and plan what you’re going to wear. Even
though you are applying for work experience, the employer will expect you to make an
effort for the interview. You and your clothes, must look clean, tidy and smart. School
uniform is perfect!
Do – prepare a list of questions and take it with you – use the list in the interview. It is quite
acceptable to read them out, it shows that you have thought about your interview.
Do – try to rehearse questions beforehand – why are you interested in coming to work with
this company?
• What do you know about what it will be like working in construction?
• If you have had any experiences in the industry. Do you attend a college course,
helped a family member build a wall? (this doesn’t have to be paid work, it could be
building or repairing things around your home).
• What do you do in your spare time?
• Do you have interests or hobbies that might be relevant to construction work?
Do – set off in plenty of time and make sure you know exactly where to go and who to ask
for. Try to arrive 10-15 minutes early to ‘settle’ yourself.
Do – make sure you have everything you need with you, bus fare and the letter inviting you
for interview.
Don’t – leave everything to the ‘last minute’.

When You Get There

• Make sure the receptionist, or interviewer knows you’re there.
• If you have to wait, run through your questions in your mind.

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 • Chat to other people, it will help you relax.
• Think of the interview as a two-way process. You have the chance to find out about
the company and see if you’d like to work for them and the company has the chance
to see if it wants to work with you for a week.
• Being nervous is a good thing; everyone (even the interviewers) gets nervous at
interviews.
• SMILE! They will want cheerful employees who enjoy their work.

The Interview
• Do – enter the room confidently, but don’t rush in!
• Do – be polite, offer your hand, look the person in the eye and smile and wait to be
asked to take a seat.
• Do – listen carefully, determine exactly what you are being asked and answer
accordingly.
• Do – talk clearly at your own pace.
• Do – sell yourself positively and relate your school work to the questions they ask,
• Do –Thank them for their time and ask when they will decide if you can do your
placement with them.
• Do – Ask if it would be ok to give their details to the school, so that they can contact
them and confirm.
Some Things Not To Do
• Don’t – slouch.
• Don’t - scowl, appear aggressive or sit down without being asked.
• Don’t – mutter, or put on a false, posh voice.
• Don’t - be cocky and give ‘smart-alec’ answers.
• Don’t – pretend to know more than you do, you can easily be caught out.
• Don’t – answer abruptly. Try to avoid ‘yes’ and ‘no’ type answers, try to get the
conversation going.
• Don’t – eat or drink unless they say you can.
• Don’t – swear – not even mildly!
• Don’t criticise other companies or the school.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but don’t feel you have to.
At the end of the interview you could well be asked if you have any questions. Don’t just say
“No”. Instead say something like “No, thank you. You’ve covered all the points I wanted to
bring up during the course of the interview”. Thank the interviewer and offer your hand and
leave, don’t hover about afterwards.

Afterwards:
• decide how well you think you did;
• write down what you were asked and what you said;
• decide how you could have improved your performance.
• if you are not offered the position, do not be afraid of asking for ‘feedback’.

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Summary of your next steps

Finding a placement
1. Think about what you would like to do.
2. Research local workplaces, online or through family and friends.
3. Prepare your communication – phone, email or letter.
4. Have back-ups if unsuccessful in your first attempts.
Logging your placement details
1. Check your KES school email for an invitation from Unifrog.
2. Set up your Unifrog profile and account – accurately.
3. Enter the details of your placement – accurately.
4. Your workplace contact will be asked by Unifrog to enter their details.
5. Check your school email regularly (daily!) for updates from us. Installing
Outlook and Teams on your device will make this easier to track.
If there is a problem
1. The school will contact you and update you.
2. You may need to chase up the employer to put their details in Unifrog.
3. In rare cases, the placement may not be suitable, and you will be asked
to find an alternative one. In this case, start again at the top of these
steps.
Aim to get this done as soon as possible and definitely by March 1 st 2024.
If you have any questions at all – contact your form tutor, Mr Humphreys or
Mrs Steward in person or via Teams.

Good luck!

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