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Experiencing the world of work …here’s how to get the best out of it

As parents you probably remember your work experience placement from school or the Saturday job you had as a teenager and how much you learned from them. Teens in Dubai can’t get Saturday jobs, paper rounds and the like here, so here we take a look at how your child can get work experience to help them in their career choice and with their work ethic as well as building their confidence.

School Work Experience Placements

A lot of the schools here so have a work experience program and you need to make sure your child gets the most out of it. It is often hard for a child to know what they want to do career wise at the age of 14 or 16, so if they do not have a fixed idea yet, just look at this as them gaining knowledge on the general business world and how “work” actually works.

work experience placement dubaiEntering the world of work for the first time can sometimes be a daunting task for your child dependent upon their confidence levels so preparation is the key. Here’s some steps to make to help them feel confident for their first day.

Research the company with them- visit the company website and have a look through all the things the business does so that you both have knowledge of what to expect.

Planning- once you have found out what the company does have a chat with your child about what areas of the business they are interested in and prep them to mention this to their mentor. For example if your child is really good at maths they may want to spend time in the accounting department; this will also help the mentor organise the week for them and make sure they spend time in the areas that interest them.

Visit beforehand- some schools organise a pre-visit to the company. This will help take away those first day nerves as your child will know where they are going and will meet the person who will be mentoring them. If this can’t happen, do a trial run to the business location so you know how long it will take to get there and find out where the office is.

gap years dubaiHousekeeping- find out what your child should wear for their placement. Some offices are casual and some are smart so make sure your child has their wardrobe planned for the week to take away the “fitting in” stress. Find out the working hours and if there is a café or somewhere to get food from nearby. If not, organise packed lunches for the week.

Paperwork- the school will probably give your child a diary for the week where they have to fill in what they have done during the day and what they have learnt. The diary needs to be filled in every day and you should check this daily and make suggestions on what more they could be doing. Talk to your child if they have faced any problems- like not having enough work to do or feeling a bit lost- and you can offer suggestions to them to help.

When the placement ends- the company has to write a summary report for the school at the end of the placement so it important that your child is seen to be taking part, contributing and behaving well. Most employers will understand that this is their first time in a work place and will be very understanding of any issues. A thank you card for the mentor on the last day is a nice touch too as they will have been taking time out of their normal work day to try and teach and help your child.

Volunteer Work

Another avenue for your child to get some work experience in Dubai is by volunteering. There are quite a few opportunities available at sporting events and charity work. The event type volunteer positions are hard work but also very exciting. Check out the websites for the golfing and tennis competitions for the full information.
Charity and community volunteer work can cover everything from beach clean ups to working with children with special needs. You can check out the website for the group called Volunteer In Dubai, contact charities direct and keep an eye on local press for details of community projects. This kind of work should give your child immense satisfaction and help with their personal development.

Summer Camps

There are many companies that offer summer camp work experience where your child would be helping to run the camp alongside professionals. There are opportunities for this all over the world and popular destinations include America, China, Australia and South Africa. They will take part in a wide range of activities from cleaning, cooking, organising camp activities and mentoring younger kids. This is a great way for your child to get some experience over a summer before they go to university or start their career.

Gap Years

A gap year can be taken straight after finishing school or college before going to university or starting a career proper. This is great for students who are not sure what they want to focus on for a degree or diploma or getting some valuable work and life experience before applying for a job. The traditional gap year usually involves travelling round the world working as you go or being placed on a community project. They don’t have to be for a whole year but 6 months plus is the best time for your child to get the real benefit from it. There are many websites that offer organised packages from building or teaching at schools in South Africa or Nepal to working on ranch farms in Australia and America.

Internships

internships dubaiIf your child is not planning to go to university, entering the world of work straight after school or college can be difficult for them, as they don’t have any real work experience and will be competing for jobs with graduates or people with years of experience. Internships have become a very popular option with many companies now. It is a win- win situation for both parties. The company is getting extra employees for a lesser cost but your child will be gaining extremely valuable experience that could set them up for life and could also lead to a full time job at the end of the internship.

An internship can open many doors for your child into their chosen career as they will have experience under their belt and, hopefully, a great work reference that will help them in their future. It can also help them decide whether their chosen field is what they actually want to pursue or show them new avenues that may not have occurred to them.

In summary: It is surprising how many options there are available to get your child on the correct career path, building their confidence and enhance their CV along the way. There are many companies that offer these services or you can contact companies direct too. Do your research and you will find the best opportunity for your child and help them on the way to adulthood.
 
 
 
 
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