Work Experience

RetiredGreyFox · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:40

I didn't have work experience (WEX) in my day because I was just shoved up a chimney and I don't know when WEX actually started.

So a few questions:

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
3 - Did you do it because you had to?
4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
6 - Did it guide you into a career path?

Thanks

revolutionrock · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:43

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
15.
2 - Did you think you were too young to do it.
No.
3 - Did you do it just to tick a box at school?
No, we had to.
4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
Yes at the time.
5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
Yes a lot. It made me change my career path in the end.
6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
No.

Fraggr · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:44

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX? - 15 I think
2 - Did you think you were too young to do it. - No
3 - Did you do it just to tick a box at school? - Did it because I had to if that is what you mean
4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do? - I didn't want to do exactly that, but it had some relevance to what I wanted to do
5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it? No. I worked in a bank and wasn't allowed to look at people's finances or do anything that would give me any experience.
6 - Did it guide you into a career path? I never want to work in a bank, but I never did in the first place.

Stinky · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:47

dmpoole said:
I didn't have work experience (WEX) in my day because I was just shoved up a chimney and I don't know when WEX actually started.

So a few questions:

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?

16

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it.

Nope not at all

3 - Did you do it just to tick a box at school?

i had to do it. the school said so

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?

Im now in the job that i did my work exp in so yea!

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?

enjoyed it yes, get something out of it? um kinda, maybe a small amount of life experience, its completly different now being in the job

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?

As said above. im now in that line of work. (with the same company infact!)

Thanks

Thats ok

lewism · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:47

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
15

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it.
no, i've been "working" since i was 12

3 - Did you do it just to tick a box at school?
future CV

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
i got homebase, so no.

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
i got a job at homebase when i was 16, didnt get hired on the spot because of my age.

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
no, but i earned some vital pennies.

RandomTom · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:48

I was 14.

I wasn't too young, but I don't think I was taken that seriously, due to my age.

It was a necessity to do at my school.

I went to my dad's company and worked with others around there, I didn't really know where to go.

I was finishing things way too early than set, and got quite bored, it was when I first started reading OcUK, just as a lurker in April 2004, and now I'm still here, almost 7,000 posts later.

It guided me away from working at an old company, being the only young person there, but that's it.

RetiredGreyFox · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:49

Much appreciated - keep em comin'.

Guv · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:53

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
16

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
no

3 - Did you do it because you had to?
yes, it was a requirement at school

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
yes and no - I knew what i wanted to do before i was 16 but couldn't get 'WEX' in that role so went for something else i was interested in

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
yes

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
no

scorza · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:56

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?

14

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?

Nope - I could have potentially been doing a similar job the next year if I didn't go to college and A-levels.

3 - Did you do it because you had to?

Yes.

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?

I was thinking of becoming an accountant back then, and I got WEX in an accounts department, so yes.

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?

No - was boring as hell lol. I decided I didn't want to do anything with accounts so yes, I got something out of it.

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?

No, but it guided me out of one.

Paul91 · 10 Jun 2008 at 17:58

dmpoole said:
1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
3 - Did you do it because you had to?
4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
6 - Did it guide you into a career path?

1. 15.
2. Nope.
3. I did, but I enjoyed it all the same.
4. Yeah.
5. Definitely.
6. Not quite because I knew it was something I wanted to do anyway.

Gog · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:08

dmpoole said:
1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
3 - Did you do it because you had to?
4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
6 - Did it guide you into a career path?

1. 15
2. Not too young to do it, but definitely too young to appreciate it.
3. Yes, was compulsory at my school. The school even arranged it for me.
4. I didn't want to do it at all, but it was a subject I was interested in (television/film production).
5. Enjoyed some of it, hated some of it. Highlight was getting a full press pass and access all areas throughout Wimbledon fortnight.
6. Unfortunately no. I didn't take the opportunities presented to me. Was more interested in having fun

neon.uk · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:09

I have no idea where im gonna go for WEX - ive got it next year.

weringo · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:12

1. 16.

2. Not really.

3. Yup.

4. Nope.

5. Definately not, I worked in a solicitors office moving boxes and sorting files during the hottest week of the year. I wouldn't do that again even if I was paid.

6. No.

Ben M · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:27

I did a week's WEX last summer (summer between lower and upper 6th). I already knew what I wanted to do. I greatly enjoyed doing WEX. It helped a lot with my UCAS application, and interviewers for universities were all very impressed. I also feel that it helped me get my job this summer, because that's in the same field as my WEX (and my degree course next year)

neon.uk · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:30

Ben M said:
I did a week's WEX last summer (summer between lower and upper 6th). I already knew what I wanted to do. I greatly enjoyed doing WEX. It helped a lot with my UCAS application, and interviewers for universities were all very impressed. I also feel that it helped me get my job this summer, because that's in the same field as my WEX (and my degree course next year)

What did you do, i need ideas lol.

Ben M · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:34

neon.uk said:
What did you do, i need ideas lol.

I knew I wanted to do a chemistry degree, so I worked for a week in a company who manufacture plastic coatings. I worked in their r&d lab doing testing. I arranged it through a friend's dad, who is head of r&d there.

That was great on my CV for getting a job this summer, because I have actual experience, and I wanted to get a job relating to chemistry this summer.

GarethDW · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:40

dmpoole said:
1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
15ish, I think.

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
Nope, didn't really think about it at all.

3 - Did you do it because you had to?
Kinda but it turned out to be a great time.

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
Yep, my neighbour at the time worked for Microprose in Tetbury, so I managed to blag a week working for them

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
Enjoyed it immensely and got a few games, t-shirts, posters, etc... out of it. Is that what you mean?

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
Kinda... although I don't work in the games industry I do work in IT, which the work experience influenced my decision on.

However, whilst at FE college I was forced to do some work experience... one at a Texas Homecare store, one at a WH Smiths and one at Debenhams (although I did get to spend the day catching Swindon's thieving scumbags). All were an absolute waste of time and I pretty much hated every single minute of it.

Steve2000 · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:41

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
--- 15.

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
--- I did at the time but not so much now.

3 - Did you do it because you had to?
--- Yes.

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
--- Kind of. My first offering was the JobCentre! :eek:

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
--- Yes I believe so.

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
--- No but it provided me with a decent reference.

Kemik · 10 Jun 2008 at 18:48

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
14 (Year 10 at school)

2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
Nope. About right. Fitted in to my high school schedule perfect.

3 - Did you do it because you had to?
No. I looked forward to it.

4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
Yes. I worked in the Accounting department of Littlewoods catalogue with my uncle.

5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
Yeah. It was good fun. Mainly just using my excel skills but I learnt how they put the front cover together too when I spent the day with my uncles friend in the design department.

6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
It's the path I've had all along. I done accounting at college, accounting at uni and now I'm doing an accounting internship next month. I think these guys will give me a bit more responsibility than my work experience though and I doubt they'll take it lightly if I screw up

p4radox · 10 Jun 2008 at 19:20

dmpoole said:
So a few questions:

1 - How old were you when you did your first WEX?
15
2 - Did you think you were too young to do it?
Not really
3 - Did you do it because you had to?
Yes.
4 - Did you do a WEX that you really wanted to do?
At the time, yes. I couldn't think of anything better than 2 weeks off school to "fix" PCs all day.
5 - Did you enjoy it and get something out of it?
Yeah, £30 and a free USB stick.
6 - Did it guide you into a career path?
Not at all.

Thanks