Work experience - Case study
Case study
Jamal Khan was nearly 18 and had no real idea what he wanted to do for a living when his sixth-form tutor arranged a week long work placement at a local insurance firm. He initially turned his nose up at what he thought would be a boring job, but when he got there he found he loved it and it proved to be the beginning of a successful career.
“I have to admit I wasn’t really looking forward to it, but my dad made me wear a suit and told me to take the opportunity seriously.
“I arrived on the first day and everyone was really nice and took the time to explain to me what they were doing and how the business worked. By the end of the week I was helping out with some admin work and they asked me if I would like to come back during half term. I took them up on the offer and enjoyed it even more and at the end of that week the manager asked me if I would like a job as a trainee when I finished my A-levels.
“I had been planning to go to university to study English literature, but I had no idea what career I wanted after university and the thought of getting into loads of debt was pretty scary. The manager at the insurance firm said I could get training and take exams while I worked, so I talked it over with my parents and decided to accept the job.”
As his old school friends were just leaving university three years later, Jamal had a wealth of experience under his belt and had already taken and passed a number of insurance exams.
“My friends were up to their eyeballs in debt and many were struggling to find a decent job. At the same time I was offered a job at one of the biggest insurance companies in the City of London and haven’t looked back since.
“I am so grateful to the local insurance firm where I started out for giving me the initial opportunity, and looking back now I’m so glad that I did the work experience there.”
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