Erin
Many girls find getting worthwhile work experience hard. Many are steered into placements they are not really interested in.Erin, 15, is still at school and although she is fairly clear what she’d like to do when she leaves, still feels as if she hasn’t had enough careers advice. She says: “Connexions came and talked to us, but we haven’t had any one-to-one advice from our teachers.”
Erin is interested in graphic design but found getting a work experience placement difficult. “Many of graphic design businesses are quite small and independent; it’s hard for them to take on students.”
Finally she found a placement at YWCA’s head office. “I didn’t really know what I would be doing because I didn’t know what the charity did”, she says, “I’ve never been into an office before and I was shocked at how much different stuff goes on.”
Despite her work experience not being specifically in graphic design, Erin was surprised at how good her time at YWCA has been: “It’s so busy but everyone’s found time for me and I’ve done so many different things … it’s taught me a lot: having to stick to deadlines and doing different things every day has been really interesting. I’ve realised that stuff you learn in school that you don’t think will be at all relevant in your later life has turned out to be really useful. This week has shown me I’ve been taught it for a reason.”A place at university is Erin’s goal at the moment, and in future she wants “… a career I enjoy. Getting up every morning to do something I hate would be the worst thing.”