What was your work experience placement at school?

[OneUmberJoker]

It was at a local garden centre

I did 2 weeks in a Travel Agency. I loved it. It was what I wanted to do when I was 16 and had my eye on a Travel and Tourism BTEC. I was quite strongly persuaded to stay in 6th Form and do A 'levels instead. I often wonder what would have happened if I'd gone the other route. I've had a decent career but wonder if I could have been high up with a major travel company (and got lots of freebies 😎) Still love organising trips.

I had a bit of work as a film extra. Including canoeing in a Bird's Eye fish fingers ad. I met the original Captain Bird's-eye. Still one of my favourite boasts. I ended up in IT.

You didn’t do it if you were heading to 6th form at my school, only 6 out of 150 of us did a levels (80’s)

I went to work with my dad for a day. I think I collected several sheets from the printer and that was it.

DD1 had a week at the office in DHs company. She overslept so for 4 of the days she didn't actually make it in.

DD2 had a week at a garden centre. She rotated between till, cafe, plants and the retail bit. It was really beneficial for her.

I'm 61 and did my work experience on the local newspaper in 1980.

I am not, and never have been, a journalist.

I was a 'lifeguard'. I got my certificate in lifeguarding too.

I seem to remember doing a stint at a police station too - maybe that was at college. That was awesome. I did loads of stuff while I was there.

At a Happy Days nursery. I loved it and went on to study childcare at college, and a career in nannying. I'm glad overall, I think, but I'm poorer than your average church mouse and always going down with something or other.

I went to a vet. I proceeded to get some nasty wounds from one of the animals and I still have the scars.

DD got to spend a week on an archaeological dig. Quite envious.

In a dentist, it was amazing, they let me do the sucker in peoples mouths, this was circa 1995, probably wouldn’t be allowed now!

Biochemistry lab in a Russel group university. Saw an electromagnetic microscope. Was amazing. Did a degree in History anyway :)

I went 2 weeks at local solicitor’s firm. I went to criminal Court quite a few times and also attending meetings people to draft their wills which I got to complete for one client. I was on reception when not with one of the solicitors! It was fantastic experience.
My sister went to a local newspaper and got to meet Jimmy Savile as they were interviewing him!

We had a canoe race around this island, first one back gets extra Bird's-eye Fish fingers. For the close-ups, they used proper actors. We had to get out of our canoes, they put the proper actors in. Filmed them. Put us back in and then we canoed off. We did the hard work and they got the glory. 1970s.

Primary school. It was the default for people who couldn't get anything else.

Horse riding school that I used to spend all my weekends at anyway, loved it.

Local tiny sportswear shop that had about 2 customers per day. I was bored to death and have never applied for a job in shop in 30 years of working life.

And, it set me on a path of suspicion and mistrust of small shops as they let someone return a (very expensive) mouth guard that was too big, gave it a quick wash and put it back out for sale 🤢🤮.

That's a great fact for if you ever have to do a "Two Truths and a Lie" type icebreaker!

Worked for my dad and got paid. Result.

Where did you go to school?! Was normal by the early 90s (I did the civil service, it was very boring but useful office skills).

In my area (northern ex mining communities) we did work experience each summer term from Year 7 onwards and it was called SCIP week with the idea being that you could experience a variety of jobs before you left school at 16. I wanted to be an Early Years Teacher and eventually own my own day nursery, so did a mix of placements at local nurseries and schools. Then I also did a week at a conference centre in the office to get some "office experience" for when I opened my nursery, and went back to work there after finishing my GCSEs whilst I did A levels. We had to arrange the placements ourselves (I think we did an annual topic in our lifeskills [PSHE] lessons to learn how to phone/go in to places to ask) and if you didn't organise one then you had to come to school but with different teachers as the form teachers were out visiting their form at their placements. It is all very strange looking back, and this was within the last 20 years.

I did end up training as a primary school teacher, and taught Early Years, then jumped ship to work in a Higher Education "office" environment.... so clearly my 11 year old self knew what she wanted.

Stable hand with the police horses

Museum. The assistant curator kept his teabags in the safe because he was convinced the caretaker was stealing them.

Same here. However, I had a paper round and a Saturday job at 15.

I worked in a cycling and walking shop that also sold mirrors.

Same here! Although my work experience was in reception, and I’m a KS2 specialist.

Solicitors in Manchester city centre - proved to me that I did NOT want to go into law after all!