Why real-world experience matters before university

Grades open doors, but experience helps young people choose which doors to walk through. Seeing real work up close builds confidence, communication and direction.

What students gain

• ✓An understanding of how organisations work and the range of careers inside them.
• ✓Professional habits: punctuality, clear communication, teamwork and responsibility.
• ✓Evidence for applications: projects, reflections and references.

Choosing the right experience

• ✓Look for structure: clear learning goals, supervision, safeguarding and an end product.
• ✓Shorter, well-run programmes are worth more than long, unstructured ones.

Connecting it to school

• ✓IB students can often use well-documented experiences as evidence for Service as Action, the Personal or Community Project or CAS, depending on school policy.

Spectrum options

The Junior Executive Programme, the AI and Cyber Security placements and Career Pathways all combine teaching, supervised placements and a final project.