Unpaid / Paid work experience, tips and advice needed!

boxrick

I currently work full time as a sales adviser at a retail chain where i have worked for 4 years ( part time throughout university now full time ) and as the it manager at a company where i used to live near my parents house.

I am a very technical minded person and would say i am reasonably clever, but my problem is i am a "hands on" person. I cannot physically sit down and learn without actually having the real life problem in front of me.

As a result I just finished University and did not achieve a degree in something i happen to be very good at and something i do not find difficult. Unfortunately my inability to sit down and actually work in my own spare time ruined this for me. So as a result i ended up finishing my degree with a "Diploma of Higher Education".

Simply put i wish to better myself either through getting a job in something i enjoy or actually gaining and finishing a degree.

1) How likely is it companies will take on a 24 year old for work experience either paid or unpaid?

2) Is there much point considering returning to university before the fees go up to 6-9k?

3) If i did return then would i be assessed on my own income or parents income?

- Left home in 2006 ( September ) aged 18 nearly 19 and begun university.
- Did not return home
- Finished university in 2010 and since then purchased a house with my girlfriend and have a full time job and a mortgage.

4) Are there any right or wrong ways to apply for work experience?

5) Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated!

Caroline_a

What is it you want to do?

podperson

When you say you have just finished university - was this is the same subject you want to work in or are you now wanting to go in a different direction? If it's the same area could you speak to the university about whether you could resit anything in order to get the full degree or if you have a diploma you can sometimes just do a 'top up' year to get the full degree rather then having to do a full course again. If you did return then you would be assessed on your own income but if you are living with your girlfriend then hers may also be taken into account as 'household' income (my partner is a mature student and his loan is worked out off my income).
Regarding work experiences - have you tried contacting any local companies that are in the field? Also if it's a technical area then could be worth looking at apprenticeships - not just for 16 year olds now

boxrick

podperson wrote: »

When you say you have just finished university - was this is the same subject you want to work in or are you now wanting to go in a different direction? If it's the same area could you speak to the university about whether you could resit anything in order to get the full degree or if you have a diploma you can sometimes just do a 'top up' year to get the full degree rather then having to do a full course again. If you did return then you would be assessed on your own income but if you are living with your girlfriend then hers may also be taken into account as 'household' income (my partner is a mature student and his loan is worked out off my income).
Regarding work experiences - have you tried contacting any local companies that are in the field? Also if it's a technical area then could be worth looking at apprenticeships - not just for 16 year olds now

Doesn't seem fair for her income to be "combined" with mine, you can live and have a mortgage with a friend yet you do not have access to each others money.