Maria Barden | Career Consultant

10 Ways to Gain Experience During Your Degree

---

“Entry level with 12 years of experience.” Many graduates are up against job descriptions that still require some level of experience for an entry level role.

One of the barriers that graduates face when entering the job market after university is a lack of experience. In a highly competitive job market, building up experience and transferable skills throughout your studies can offer an advantage in your job applications and strong examples to use at interviews. 

I have compiled a list of ways that you can build up vital skills throughout your degree to help you find your dream graduate role. 

1. Part-time paid roles: Working part-time alongside your course provides essential experience, skill development and financial support. Here are some great part-time job searching websites: Student Job, Save the Student and Working Mums.
2. Paid internships: Short-term paid opportunities providing exposure and valuable experience in a particular industry or field. Find advertised internships at Bright Network, Target Jobs and Prospects.
3. Virtual Internships: Gain valuable career skills through completing job simulations and virtual work experience online. The Forage offers a large number of experiences across a variety of industries. Bright Network has its yearly virtual four-day internship programme starting in June!
4. Volunteering: Support a charity whilst developing skills, gaining hands-on experience and expanding your network. My favourite websites for voluntary roles are Charity Job and Reach Volunteering.
5. Free online courses: Upskill yourself throughout your degree by identifying your skills gaps and enrolling on courses to enhance these skills. Many websites offer free courses, including Free Course England and Coursera.
6. Join Professional Bodies: Research the professional bodies relating to your desired field. Some professional bodies offer student memberships, as well as networking opportunities, events and volunteering.
7. Self-Teach: Are there any programs or software that you can teach yourself? For example, learning how to use Canva. Take guidance from YouTube and have a go!
8. Engage with your student union: If your university has a student union, find out if there are schemes, societies or roles that you can get involved with.
9. Work shadowing: Observing someone in their role at work, helping you to find out about different careers. Reach out to your network, or local organisations to inquire about shadowing opportunities.
10. Self-employment: Develop enterprise skills through running your own business or freelancing. Some great ideas for businesses at Save the Student.

Studying at university can provide great opportunities to accelerate your career. Tap into the resources available to you, such as reaching out to the employability team for guidance and support.