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The job market has certainly become very tight these days, and it seems that you have to have experience in all sorts of things before you will be offered a position. For this reason, unpaid internships and work experience positions are cropping up all over the place. The problem is, just because you have been taken on as an intern, it does not mean that you will actually learn the things that you need for your real job. You may learn how the boss likes his coffee taken, but when you head to a new workplace, their processes may all be different. So how do you make work experience count? The best thing to do is to observe as much as possible. This is the first step in really getting the most out of an internship or work experience programmed. The idea is not just to impress and get along with your experience providers. At the end of the day, they may not have a job position available for you at the end of the experience, whether they claim to or not. Your main aim has to be looking at the long-term job prospects that the experience can provide you. To make this work, it is important that you spend as much time as possible networking, observing, and listening. Talking to people within the workplace can help you to learn about how they do their jobs, what tools they need, and what knowledge they have picked up based on experience. It can also give you connections that may help you get more work in the future. A observing allows you to notice the small details which you might not otherwise pick up on. You can watch someone using a program and learn most of the basic principles. Even if you are not supposed to be trained in using it, this can prepare you for a different workplace. Finally, listening means that you can pick up on things that you might not be supposed to know. Instead of interrupting a conversation between colleagues to add your own input, simply listen to what they have to say. They may forget you are there and reveal something interesting. Otherwise they may use certain vocabulary or discuss certain facets of the job which will help you to learn more. The final stage of all this is applying what you have learnt in a new environment. It could be that the technology, the processes, and the etiquette are all different at a new workplace. However, there are some things which are bound to be the same. The terminology, for instance, might remain. The attitude towards clients or customers is also likely to be similar. You will see a dramatic improvement in your job performance if you network, observe, and listen during experience opportunities.
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Saul Karoo, the author, is exploring learning transfer and the benefits which it can provide in the workplace to those who take full advantage of it. For more information Visit: http://transferoflearning.com/
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