In the UK we have a couple of periods each year when young people, mainly school and college leavers, try and get some experience of real life work – and it’s a painful process.
When we start to get those calls and emails at HMX asking for work experience, I often find myself surprised, and somewhat frustrated, that the young people involved do not seem to be given the simplest and most basic instruction in how to present their case.
I believe it is part of an employer’s role, if that doesn’t sound pompous, to give young people a taste of the work environment and perhaps give them an idea of what they might like to do with their lives, so we are receptive to these requests, but over the years have developed strong filtering antenna.
Of course, being a video production company, we are quite high up on the ‘want’ lists, which makes us very picky, so here are some thoughts to put in front of your (or your friends) son or daughter to help them make the most of an opportunity…
- Make the approach yourself. It seems a basic point, but surprising how often it’s missed. I know it’s hard. That is why it immediately makes you stand out to a potential employer. I’m much more likely to take on someone who is keen, and motivated and can show it, rather than someone who’s Mum or Dad is asking on their behalf.
- It’s a good idea to do some preparation and planning work first. Think of it as a project, and break it down into a series of steps.
For example:
Call up the company and explain you are looking to get some experience of their type of business and that you’d like to send an email with more details. It’s difficult to refuse that request, and it’s a great way to get you off the phone – the receptionist’s main goal! They just need to tell you who to send the email to – and if they try and fob you off with info@, just ask for a name too.
Send the email straight away – you have prepared it already, haven’t you? And please make sure it has old fashioned things like capital letters, paragraphs and words that are spelled correctly.
Follow up with another call. Maybe not the same day, but definitely the day after. Now you can ask to speak to your contact by name and you can honestly tell the receptionist that you are calling about your email correspondence. - Don’t be knocked back by a refusal. In fact, you might as well get used to it. You’ll get loads. Companies get lots of these approaches and will default to saying no, sorry. It’s not personal, but you really have to prove you want to do it, you’re keen and will be able to be useful, even by making the tea. In fact, you should offer to make the tea!
- Lower your sights. Companies are more likely to agree to take you on for a day or two rather than a week. Once you have been there for a couple of days and have proved how useful you are, they are quite likely to let you come back for another couple of days.
- Make yourself immediately useful (remember the tea?) What else can you do that is immediately useful to someone? Filing, tidying up, labelling things, counting things…? Most offices are full of stuff that nobody gets around to – you could be the answer. They just don’t know it yet.
- Final point – try and see things from the employer’s point of view. They haven’t got time to train you, they know from bitter experience that it takes hours out of their day, and they are busier than ever. So make it easy for them, you don’t want weeks, you can be useful straight away and you will not take up loads of their day…
Remember, the key thing is to make yourself stand out – by being more pleasant on the phone, more determined to get through to them, by doing what you say, by turning up, by being friendly and being interested in the business.
Hope it helps…and good luck!
