How do you actually know if a career is right for you? This is exactly where work experience placements come in. They play a key role in young people's career choices. After all, what better way is there to get to know a profession than by experiencing it first-hand? Information events such as careers fairs or the so-called «Tun» fairs, organised by the Foundation for the Promotion of Young Talent in Technology and the Natural Sciences, can help point the way.
Some organisations also hold information sessions and open days. It is well worth taking the opportunity – particularly when the sheer range of careers on offer can feel overwhelming – to gain some initial insights in this way, as a first step in the career choice process.
A look behind the scenes
«As my family has a strong background in the natural sciences, I developed an interest in chemistry at an early age,» explains Zuhra Naseem. As a result, the direction she wanted to take was clear from the outset: a career in which chemistry plays a central role. Her aunt – who works in the chemical industry herself – arranged her first taster placement at a pharmaceutical company. This can be a very helpful approach.
«It was helpful for me that I was put in touch with the work experience placement and was able to gain my very first work experience in this way.» Although she contacted the person in charge herself, she knew that they were already expecting her call. This made it easier for her to get a glimpse behind the scenes.
8 tips for a taster work placement
- Before you start your taster apprenticeship: Make a note of what you want to find out about the profession.
- Not all questions are answered at work. Do ask if you're unsure.
- Write down your impressions every evening. What did you like, and what didn't you like? Can you see yourself spending two, three or four years at this company?
- Be yourself. That's the only way your line managers will get to know you.
- Are you shy? If so, you'll just have to pluck up the courage.
- Have you finished everything? Ask if there are any other tasks or jobs you can watch being done.
- Once the taster apprenticeship has finished: Ask for a written assessment of your performance.
- If your taster apprenticeship doesn't go well, it's not the end of the world. Make a note of what didn't go well, what you can improve on, and what needs to change at the company to make you feel comfortable.
Suitability for the profession
Taster apprenticeships are not only important for young people who want to find out about a particular profession; they are also crucial for businesses. They make an initial selection based on the application files. As a rule, training organisations only decide whom they believe is capable of completing an apprenticeship and to whom they will offer a contract based on the impression the taster apprentices make in the workshop, shop or clinic.
During the trial period, both parties therefore decide for themselves whether they can envisage working together for three to four years.
On the very first day of her taster placement as a chemical and pharmaceutical technologist (EFZ), Zuhra Naseem realised that the atmosphere wasn't right for her. «The work as a technologist is very hands-on; you have to operate a lot of machines and often work on a computer. What's more, I had to put on a protective suit.»
From the very start, the young woman did not feel at ease in this environment. «It was dark and felt as if I were in hospital. What's more, I was alone at work with my vocational trainer, yet I'm very sociable and like having people around me.» Although she was interested in the work, she realised during this taster placement that she did not like the environment.
A taster work placement is a reality check; it allows you to see how your own expectations of the job or the working environment measure up.
Even negative experiences can be helpful
A taster work placement is a reality check; it allows you to gauge whether your own expectations of the profession or the working environment are realistic. It paves the way for the next steps – even if the experience turns out to be a negative one. After gaining an insight into pharmaceutical technology, Zuhra Naseem knew that she wanted to stay in chemistry, but that she would have to change her specialism.
«I then applied for taster placements as a laboratory assistant specialising in chemistry and realised straight away: ‹This is the right fit for me!›» No huge machines, just manageable workstations, bright rooms and colleagues pottering about in the same laboratory. The then 15-year-old not only enjoyed the work, but also the working environment.
«I knew exactly which direction I wanted to go in right from the start,» says Zuhra Naseem, now in her second year of an apprenticeship as a laboratory technician specialising in chemistry (EFZ). «The taster placements helped me to explore the various options and pick the one that was right for me.»
The following types of taster work placements are available
Taster visit
It usually lasts a day and gives participants an insight into what a typical working day at the company is like. An introductory visit also allows those interested to gain valuable insights into the profession and the company.
Taster work experience
It usually lasts between two and five days. Many companies require applicants to apply for a taster placement, although this does not count as an application for an apprenticeship. The aim is for participants to gain a realistic impression of day-to-day working life. They are usually given small tasks to carry out. Some companies also carry out aptitude tests. The companies want to get to know the trial trainees and gain an initial impression of whether they are suitable for an apprenticeship with them.
Taster work experience placement
It often lasts a working week, but can also be longer. The person on the work experience placement has usually indicated that they wish to do their apprenticeship at this company, or has already applied for a vacant apprenticeship place. The aim now, for both sides, is to find out whether they can envisage working together for the next three or four years.
