Work experience was the sole reason I found an interest in a trade career. If I hadn’t signed up ignorant of what the experience was about, I wouldn’t have considered it. I’d had no exposure to the field of trades, nor had it recommended to me in any capacity. It was too far beyond anything I could imagine seeing myself doing as a career.
Originally, I had signed up to attend my week of work experience in my mum’s workplace. It was a small business providing podiatry services to elderly people. My mum carried out a diverse office role co-ordinating podiatrists.
I wasn’t interested in the healthcare field (or feet), but I had very little awareness of the alternative careers beyond those of the adults in my life. So, working with my mum made sense. Yet, it was also a default.
Choosing work experience with my mum keep my awareness of career options limited to my parents and the people in their circle. I broke out of that circle and into the wider world by accident, through my work experience in a trade industry. It’s only because of that accident that I realised the value of stepping out of the known and into something entirely new.
In our society, we often idealise travel – exploring new foods, new cultures, and a new appreciation for the world. The value that exists in those experiences comes from stepping into situations we may not have otherwise been exposed to. It expands our awareness of the world and our understanding of ourselves.
Work experience is the same as travel. Entering a workforce that we have no exposure to may seem like a waste of time, but there are layers to every industry that can’t be understood until we’ve experienced them first-hand. Whether that’s the comradery that often exists in blue-collar environments or the intricacies that exist within an engine.
Until I had entered the industry as a student – with only Meghan Fox from Transformers as a reference – I couldn’t know whether I liked the work or not. I couldn’t know what the work encompassed until I tried it. And, even six years into my career as a diesel mechanic, I am still discovering new roles and industries from this one.
Trying something, whether we already have an interest in it or not, has the potential to surprise us. The process of experimenting allows us to gather data to help us find careers and job roles that we can thrive in.
As an apprentice, I was adamant that I had no interest in the mining industry or running a business as a diesel mechanic. Yet, they were the two roles I ventured into upon qualifying – and at the same time.
While the decisions were opportunistic, they reminded me of the value of work experience and trying new things.
I spent eighteen months working FIFO (fly-in fly-out) at a rural coal mine in Queensland. At the same time, I was running a business with a trade schoolmate during my home weeks. It didn’t take long for me to realise that my original instinct had been right. I didn’t enjoy the on-and-off lifestyle of FIFO work. I also didn’t enjoy the increased pressure of running my own business.
As a mechanic, I thrive in an environment where I feel safe to be a learner and make mistakes. But I couldn’t have learned that without experiencing the different work situations of mining and business.
Even though the information I got from my on-the-job “work experience” was negative, it was still useful information that helped me. By not liking the lifestyle of mining and business I more accurately found and appreciated a work lifestyle that suited me. That process brought me more fulfillment. But it also gave me a wider range of experiences than I wouldn’t have had if I had stayed in my original workplace.
So, if you’re a student, I advise reaching out beyond your parents’ workplaces. Consider trying a career you don’t know much about, or one you only have a fledgling interest in. You have nothing to lose from a week (or less) in a new environment, and so much to gain!
And, for those who are no longer students, it’s unnecessary to change jobs or industries to experience new work environments. If all we can manage is a small step into something new, that’s enough. Whether it’s joining the social committee or asking to shadow a co-worker in a different job role, there are so many opportunities to grow our experience and understanding if we’re prepared to look and ask.
For many of us, work may be more of a function than a pleasure, unlike travel. But it is a massive part of our daily lives and our lifetimes. Finding meaning and fulfillment in our careers is important for our overall quality of life. We don’t have to get it right the first time, or the second. And the “right” workplace will likely change over the course of our careers. But the opportunity to experiment through work experience opportunities, in whatever shape we can find them, can help us find the roles and workplaces we can thrive in.
Ashley Belteky 