We are tasked with completing 100 hours of work experience by the end of our three years at university. It's crucial to gain work experience, as you can hone your knowledge of the world you're going into and practise certain skillsets to become more employable.
Exploring different types of work experience is important, starting with freelance. Freelance work is great as it lets you control what work you do and when. It's something I'll be completing a lot of throughout university. My brother is a social media influencer and content creator (KaiSheps), and I have started to edit some of his YouTube videos and create thumbnails for them too. Volunteer work and part-time jobs are equally important, as the majority of the work is hands-on and you'll be learning beside professionals.
Work experience helps you develop relevant skills and qualifications, while allowing you to network and build professional connections before you even enter the world of work.
For a personal reflection: back in college I completed work experience for Eastbourne Borough Football Club, where I created fixture graphics for their social media (Instagram and Facebook) and bar graphics for the on-site TVs. It was amazing experience – I gained real knowledge of what it's like working a graphic-design job for a client that can't have any mess-ups and has strict schedules.
Overall, work experience is paramount to being successful, finding a real job and being highly employable. It builds transferable skills, portfolios and career development, and provides an insight into the real world of work.