One of the best ways to find out if a particular type of work is suited to you is to do it.  There are several ways: part-time or full-time paid work, short-term or long-term volunteer work.  The auspices can be through co-operative education, casual, summer, contract, on-going (permanent), work study, internship, or volunteer positions.  In addition to the job content knowledge you gain, there are extra benefits:

• referrals for future jobs through a network that you build 
• knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of your work related skills 
• development of communication, leadership, analytical,  organizational,  problem solving and creative skills 
• demonstration of your initiative, and establishment of a track record, for potential employers. 

With a complete analysis of your experiential learning, you will have data and examples for your next resume, portfolio, and job interview.

Community Service

Civic and social organizations, whether local, national or international in scope, provide opportunities for individuals to give back something to society.  You are able to support a community service compatible with your beliefs and geared toward your leisure needs.  It is important that you make the same type of commitment to the organization as you would to your employer.  The organization will be counting on you to do the job as conscientiously as a paid employee.   Determine what would you like to contribute to the organization and what knowledge and skills you want to gain.

List 3-5 organizations or community needs that you are interested in helping.  Interview the person in charge to determine if your goals and theirs are compatible, and if working together will meet both your needs.  When you have made a decision on where you would like to volunteer, agree upon the number of hours, the times you will be available, your specific duties and responsibilities, any training you require, and your out-of-pocket expenses.  Having a written, signed contract will alleviate any misunderstandings which might jeopardize your reputation in the future and impact being able to earn good references.

Co-operative Education

Co-operative education provides you with the opportunity to have paid employment in positions that complement your academic program.   Alternating work and study terms takes somewhat longer than the traditional method of study with a summer break.  Co-op positions are full-time, usually for 4-8 months, or 1 year.  The advantage for you is in having a formal structure through which you can try out different jobs to see what you like and are good at.  With regular performance evaluations by your supervisors, you can acquire an employer's perspective on how well you measure up to the quality of other people working in that position.  You can begin to see your competitive advantage.  By taking positions with increasing levels of responsibility, you will have a solid resume with which to approach the job market for a full-time position. 

Summer, Contract, On-going (Permanent)

Jobs in these categories usually are offered on a full-time basis, ranging from 25-30 hours or more a week.  Seen as building blocks to lay the foundation for your career, working in a diversity of settings will enable you to experience personally, as well as observe, aspects of employment.   By testing, you will come to know what you like and don't like, what you're good at and what areas you need to develop expertise.  For those of you in an academic program that is not specifically preparing you for employment as does mechanical engineering, health promotion, or accounting, you are receiving the added benefits of gaining work related skills that employers are seeking. 

Work Study

Within an academic environment, there may be positions funded by governments, for up to 10 hours a week over the term, to help students finance their education.  Carefully read the job notices.  If the information is vague, phone the person who would be hiring for the position for more details.  Work study can be an good way to apply your knowledge in different settings.  In addition to helping you clarify your career goals and secure references, you can end up with excellent transferable skills.

Internship

An internship gives you an opportunity to have a structured experience combining work and learning in a field you are considering for your career.  The work is usually unpaid, although you may find some positions with a stipend or an hourly rate typical for that kind of job.  The work can be part-time during an academic term, a full-time block during the weeks between terms, full-time for an academic term or longer.  A professor from your faculty may oversee the work in conjunction with your employer so that appropriate academic credit can be given.  Even if you succeed in obtaining an internship that will not result in academic credit, the experience is invaluable in exploring career possibilities, gaining work skills valued in the marketplace, and obtaining references.

Volunteer

Volunteering allows you to check out many types of work.  Some examples are: animal care, environmental preservation, health education, marketing, computer programming.  You may want to undertake a special project as a class assignment in a course.  Rather than proceeding only through the theoretical perspective to obtain your academic grade, perhaps you could locate a group who could benefit from your work. 

Anyone can volunteer in practically any organization.  Look through the files and directories in the Career Center.  The two questions you need to answer for yourself are:  what would you like to give to the community, and what would you like to get back in return.  For anyone not able to obtain paid employment to learn about the work world and expand employable skills, volunteering is beneficial.