Many people in my school chose the first work experience opportunity they found. I wanted to find an opportunity that would open my eyes to a career I might not have considered before. I didn’t want to do a boring office job that would make me wish “Oh man, I just want to go back to school!” This is the reason why I chose HeadStart. I wanted a fun ‘experience’ that would stick with me (see what I did there)!
HeadStart has a lot of activities in schools such as BounceBack, HeadStart Champions, Team Social Action and Mini-interventions. Whether you are out and about in schools and in the community or you are in the office preparing for sessions, there is always do something which will develop skills you already have or help you learn new skills. Sometimes, I even did things that pushed me out of my comfort zone. For example, I ran an icebreaker activity at a primary school before a BounceBack session! This was scary at first but really boosted my confidence and resilience. Overall, it’s a work experience that has been highly beneficial for me that I will not regret doing.
I was involved in writing this blog (haha!), coding with the HeadStart Research Team, graphic design and marketing, budget management, co-facilitating sessions in schools, observing other Youth Practitioners and helping the whole team in the office.
If you’re good with children and love ICT, then I definitely recommend HeadStart! You can go to a primary school and work with kids or develop your computer skills. Whatever you do and love to do, there will always be something which will be helpful in the years to come.
Work experience gave me a broader view of possible jobs I could get in the future. My parents always wanted me to be a doctor when I was young, and I did want to, but something changed. I’m still not sure just what to do in the future but this work experience developed my understanding of all the possible careers in youth work. HeadStart also taught me about flexible working and making sure that I have balanced work hours every day. This improved my time management skills.
My advice to young people is:
-This might be your first job and there will be long hours. You might get tired! Some places might push you too much and may not give a reasonable break and lunch time. If this happens, I recommend asking them to slightly increase your break and lunch times. This will help boost your focus.
-Always ask for help. Your supervisor should give you a reasonable amount of time to finish tasks and support you. If you need help, ask!
I’d describe it as a fun experience meeting new people and getting to know them. It’s very different from what I normally do and also gave me an insight of what the world of work feels like. It is also a break from a week full of tests in school which is great!
Hi! I’m Eythan, one of HeadStart’s work experience students. I come from Little Ilford School and I have done Team Social Action (TSA). This work experience helped me to grow significantly and also helped me understand what HeadStart does to help all the young people in Newham.
