Experience is the best teacher
Nothing clarifies a career like experiencing it. Firsthand experience shows students what a job is really like — the parts a description never captures — and builds real skills, confidence and connections along the way.
From a day to a placement
These experiences run along a spectrum of depth:
- Job shadowing — following a professional for a few hours or a day
- Internships — working in a field for weeks or months
- Work-based learning — school-connected placements for credit
- Volunteering & part-time jobs — real work that builds skills
What students gain
Beyond testing a career, these experiences build a résumé, teach workplace skills that school can't, and create a network — the relationships that so often lead to future jobs. They also strengthen college and job applications.
Finding opportunities
Opportunities come through schools, family and community networks, local employers, and formal programs. Even volunteering counts. Persistence and reaching out matter — many opportunities are never advertised, so students who ask often find doors others never see.
Related resources
See the school-based programs in Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships, plus Your First Job.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between shadowing and an internship? Job shadowing is observing a professional for a short time; an internship is actually working in a field for a longer period. Both help students test careers.
- How do students find internships? Through school programs, family and community networks, local employers, and by reaching out directly. Many opportunities are never advertised.
- Does volunteering count as work experience? Yes. Volunteering and part-time jobs build real workplace skills and look good to future employers and colleges.
- Why do internships matter beyond the experience? They build a résumé, teach workplace skills, and create a network of relationships that often lead to future jobs.