6th July 2018

Expert Advice: Cardiff Met, GO Wales – ‘How do I find a job in Life Sciences with no work experience?’

It’s the classic chicken and egg question. To get work experience you need to have a job, and to get a job you need work experience. News out recently said less young people are working while at school and many jobs, even entry-level, require some experience. Sadly, more and more of our Life Sciences students are finding themselves without work experience upon graduating – their grades won’t tell you how equipped they are for working life or how well they work in a team. Work experience and developing employability skills are just as important as academic ability.

​Cardiff Met’s GO Wales programme offers students support and coaching to develop employability skills, and access to quality, tailored and flexible work experience, to improve their chances of obtaining graduate level employment upon graduation. Support is provided to employers and students to develop bespoke work experience opportunities lasting between 1 day and 6 weeks, and ensure their successful completion.

The programme is part funded by the European Social Fund and delivered in all Welsh universities. It addresses inequalities and barriers faced by students from a Black and Ethnic Minority background, those with a disability, care leavers, those with caring or childcare responsibilities, or students from low higher education participation neighbourhoods.

It is thanks to a handful of employers across Wales that we have been able to provide quality work experience opportunities within a laboratory setting for our students. These employers understand the value of supporting our young people and giving them a great start. An employer who recently hosted a work experience said that our student was “extremely helpful and fitted into the team quickly and easily. She supported our staff in their day-to-day duties and was keen to gain as much experience as she could. We’re really pleased to help prepare the student for the world of work and will be offering work experience to another GO Wales student soon”.

We would like to engage with more local employers who may not have thought about offering such opportunities. If you could offer work experience to our hard working and passionate students, please get in touch.

Naeem Amir, GO Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University
E: namir@cardiffmet.ac.uk
T: 029 2041 6996
W: gowales.co.uk
T: @GOWales_Cmet