145 Work Experience Ideas for Year 10

Gaining work experience could help with university applications and is a great advantage for your personal statement. However, you might be feeling lost about where you can work, especially since some places to do work experience don’t allow those under 18 to enter. Not to worry, though. Here are some work experience ideas for year 10s, with 5+ ideas for each sector. They’re relevant wherever you live in the world, but we’ve also included ideas for year 10 work experience in London from our own programmes.

Ideally, you should look to find a places to do work experience that will match up with your future career goals; that way, you’ll be better prepared for what’s to come. In our lists, we’ve included types of employer as well as more unorthodox ways to get work experience.

Where we’ve listed particular employers, remember that you might need to be willing to work in a specific department, like admin or the social media team, to get your foot in the door – even if that’s not the department you want to build a career within.

Read how to write a great personal statement for work experience.

Engineering and Architecture Work Experience

Although architecture and engineering are different fields, there are a lot of crossovers. These work experience ideas will help you learn more about design and construction processes in general.

1. Shadow an architect or engineer at work.
2. Work at a builder’s merchant (Year 10s aren’t allowed on building sites, but you can learn about building by working in a merchant’s to learn stock replenishment, customer service, and more).
3. Work at an urban planning company such as the Royal Town Planning Institute’s 1-Week Work Experience Programme.
4. Work with an airline or in an airport to learn about aircraft engineering; try the British Airways engineering work experience programme.
5. Work with a motorsports team by emailing their HR departments.

On our Architecture & Design Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London includes visiting institutions like D-Lab Studios for ‘A Day in the Life’ architecture workshop and enjoy talks provided by organisations like the New London Architecture group.

Find out more about our Engineering and Architecture career summer programmes.

Business Work Experience

Business is a very broad topic to cover. If you’re doing business studies or interested in how business works, here are some great Year 10 work experience ideas that will allow you to see how a business ensures profitability behind the scenes.

6. Work at a consultancy firm.
7. Work for an estate agent.
8. Work in a HR department.
9. Work for an insurance firm.
10. Work at the ‘Big Four’ – PwC, EY, Deloitte, and KPMG (note: these placements are extremely competitive).
11. Get work experience through a summer programme.
12. Shadow a project manager who works in a field you’re interested in.
13. Shadow a data analyst at a company like Purple Frog Systems.

On our Business Management Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London will cover various departments – from production in a smoothie lab workshop hosted by the Museum of Brands, to branding at StoryCube, to Business Development at Turo (the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing platform), to social media strategy at Hootsuite.

Our Business Management career programmes are also available in Tokyo and New York. Discover a Business Management work experience summer programme.

Creative Arts Ideas

Creative arts is also a broad field. It includes arts, drama, and even graphic design. If you’re a creative person, here are some places to do work experience.

14. Participate in art, design, or photography workshops.
15. Work at an art gallery or museum.
16. Volunteer at an art auction to learn more about art sales.
17. Work at a graphic design agency.
18. Work at a cinema (this doesn’t have to be serving customers; you can also work behind the scenes to figure out staff and film schedules).
19. Work at a theatre.
20. Shadow an interior designer.
21. Volunteer at crafts events in community centres, churches, and schools.

Find out more about our Fine Art summer programme.

Environment and Geography Work Experience

Geography often covers both environmental and urban projects. As a result, there are plenty of year 10 work experience options for those interested in this field.

22. Volunteer at an environmental charity (like Friends of the Earth) to take part in fundraising.
23. Work at an urban planning and development company.
24. Shadow a geologist; you can find one in the Geologist’s Online Directory.
25. Shadow a travel agent to learn more about tourism.
26. Volunteer at a nature reserve through The Wildlife Trust.
27. Do a work experience placement with the British Geological Survey.
28. Volunteer at the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme.
29.  Work at the Met Office through their MetLink work experience scheme.

Find out more about our Global Society & Sustainability Summer School.

Event Planning and Management Work Experience

If you like planning, then event management could be for you. Here are some places to do work experience.

30. Shadow a manager at a local business.
31. Shadow an event planner.
32. Get involved with local events or festivals (note: some festivals are only open to those over 18).
33. Volunteer at a non-profit event to get hands-on experience.
34. Work at a venue – perhaps a theatre, restaurant, community centre or concert hall.

Places to Do Fashion Work Experience

The fashion industry can be hard to break into, so work experience is highly valuable. Here are some fashion work experience ideas for Year 10.

35. Volunteer with a costume maker.
36. Work at a local boutique or clothing store.
37. Shadow a fashion designer.
38. Volunteer at a fashion show.
39. Work with a stylist on photo shoots.
40. Intern at a fashion magazine.
41. Create your own fashion portfolio or start running a successful Depop shopfront.
42. Shadow a personal shopper.

Find out about our Fashion & Design summer programme

Finance and Banking Ideas

If you’re a diligent maths student, finance and banking are ideal sectors to explore. Here are some options for work experience.

43. Work at a bank to learn about security protocols, counting money, and more.
44. Work at an accountancy firm.
45. Work at a credit union.
46. Shadow a financial advisor.
47. Volunteer with a financial literacy program.
48. Work at a fintech start-up.

On our Banking & Finance Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London takes place across varied institutions, from Guinness Global Investors, where they’ll take part in a venture capital and investment workshop, to io.finnet, where they’ll experience a blockchain & cryptocurrency workshop.

Find out more about our Banking and Finance work experience programme.

Healthcare Ideas

Healthcare is a fantastic field to gain work experience in. Not all avenues are open to Year 10s, but there are still plenty of ways to get work experience.

49. Shadow a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional in a primary or community health environment.
50. Volunteer at a local clinic.
51. Work at a pharmacy. You may need to be over 16 for this; see the ABPI guide for more information. Often, you can work as a counter assistant.
52. Explore allied health professions like physical therapy.
53. Create a health and wellness initiative.
54. Check out available placements at Step Into the NHS.
55. Work at your local GP surgery. 
56. Work at a dental surgery.

On our Medicine Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London includes visiting places like the Royal College of Surgeons for a surgical skills taster session as well as the Royal College of Physicians for a careers in medicine workshop and garden tour.

Hospitality Work Experience

There are endless jobs available in the hospitality space. While you won’t be able to work behind a bar, there are still plenty of opportunities to learn about this industry.

57. Work at a spa as a receptionist.
58. Work in a restaurant as front-of-house staff or in the kitchen.
59. Work in a cafe as a barista, waiter, or another role.
60. Work in a hotel as a cleaner, receptionist, or a variety of other roles. The IHG Academy Work Experience is a great place to start.
61. Work for a catering company.

IT and Technology Ideas

Getting hands-on year 10 work experience can be extremely helpful in the tech industry. There are a lot of sub-sectors in this field, so try to find something that excites you.

62. Work in a computer shop selling computers or doing repairs.
63. Work at a technology company, such as the Cisco Pathway To Your Future Work Experience program.
64. Shadow the IT department at your school.
65. Work at a video game company to learn coding and digital art.
66. Work on tech support or a help desk for a big company.

Places to Do Journalism and Media Work Experience

Journalism and media are two more fields where work experience can be extremely helpful. In these roles, you will gain first-hand insight into the world of media.

67. Work at a local or school newspaper.
68. Work for or create your own local blog.
69. Work at a local radio station; you won’t be on air, but you’ll learn how the industry works.
70. Work at a podcast studio.
71. Work at a magazine in a field you’re interested in, or create your own zine with friends.
72. Shadow employers at an editing house.
73. Work on a TV set or at a production studio.

On our Media & Journalism Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London includes visiting institutions like The Guardian, taking part in an opinion writing workshop, Framestore, for a visual effects careers workshop, The Kia Oval, for a commercial and media tour, and The News Associates journalism store. They’ll also have the chance to meet with former journalists to hear their stories. If you’re an aspiring journalist, it’s a great option for a summer school.

Law Work Experience

Getting work experience in the legal field can be tricky, because lawyers often deal with sensitive information. That said, it’s not impossible for year 10s to find meaningful work experience.

74. Work at a law firm in the sector of your choice (e.g. corporate law, family law, criminal law) OR find work in the legal department of a finance company/another large company.
75. Observe courtroom proceedings.
76. Work for a legal aid firm or non-profit organisation.
77. Shadow a lawyer, paralegal, or legal assistant.
78. Shadow a case manager to understand how legal cases unfold.

On our Law Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London includes visiting places like the Royal Courts of Justice and law firms such as Founders Law, as well as taking part in mock trials and crime scene simulations.

Find out more about our Law career summer programme.

Places to Do Marketing and Advertising Work Experience

Marketing is a great field to get work experience in, with plenty of jobs to go around. Those seeking year 10 work experience should try out the following ideas.

79. Work at a marketing firm.
80. Work at an advertising agency, either in the creative or analytics department.
81. Work at a content marketing firm and learn how to write long-form content.
82. Work at a PR company.
83. Work in communications.
84. Shadow a social media manager.

Find out more about our Marketing and Entertainment career summer programme

Photography and Film Work Experience

There aren’t a lot of ways to get work experience in photography other than working on your own projects and portfolios. That said, here are some ideas to get you started.

85. Shadow a professional photographer.
86. Assist on film sets.
87. Work for a documentary filmmaker.
88. Shadow a cinematographer.
89. Work at a portrait gallery.
90. Volunteer at a film festival.

On our Film Studies Career Insights programme, year 10 work experience in London includes visiting places like the West End for a Disney Theatrical Productions workshop, tour production companies, and take part in a broadcast media workshop.

Politics Work Experience

Making connections in the politics field can help you later down the line. As a result, year 10 work experience can be extremely helpful. Here are some ideas for political work experience.

91. Work at your local council.
92. Volunteer for a political campaign.
93. Shadow a campaigner.
94. Shadow a political journalist.
95. Work for a think tank or poll taker.

Retail Work Experience

There are plenty of jobs available in retail. These roles can help you learn about sales, customer service, inventory management, merchandising, and more.

96. Work at a High Street shop.
97. Shadow a visual merchandiser.
98. Work at an e-commerce retailer like ASOS or Boohoo.
99. Shadow a retail manager
100. Volunteer at pop-up shops or events.

Science and Research Work Experience

Not all research work experience opportunities are open to year 10s. That said, there are still plenty of ways to explore the world of science and research.

101. Work at a research centre as an assistant.
102. Work at a laboratory, such as the National Physical Laboratory.
103. Work at a science museum.
104. Work at an astronomical observatory.
105. Shadow a researcher or scientist, or write your own university-level research paper on a topic of choice.

Places to Do Social Work and Community Outreach

Social work can be a sensitive field, which means that not all avenues are open to year 10s. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to give you a taster of the work.

106. Work at a charity shop to learn skills like communication, handling money, and more.
107. Work at a food bank, such as the Trussel Trust.
108. Work in a retirement home as an assistant.
109. Volunteer for a charity like Age UK.
110. Work at a community centre.

Software and Coding Ideas

If you’re interested in coding, there is a wealth of opportunities to get involved with. Try out the following places for work experience:

111. Work at a software firm.
112. Try the Softwire Year 10 Work Experience program.
113. Work as a coding intern.
114. Shadow a UX or UI designer at an agency.
115. Work with the development team at a startup.

Sports Work Experience

There are plenty of ways to get involved with sport locally. Here are some ideas for year 10 work experience that will teach you about coaching, sports management, and more.

116. Work at a gym.
117. Work at a local sports club–there are various roles available, from gardener to physical therapist.
118. Shadow a coach.
119. Work at a golf course.
120. Volunteer at a school sports club.
121. Shadow a sports commentator.
122. Volunteer at a sports shop.
123. Volunteer at sporting events.
124. Shadow a personal trainer.
125. Create your own coaching plans and coach your friends or family.
126. Shadow people at a sports media company.
127. Volunteer as an umpire or referee.

Teaching and Childcare Work Experience

Sometimes, it’s challenging to find teaching and childcare roles while you’re still in school. Still, there are plenty of ways to find relevant experience.

128. Work at a primary or secondary school to learn lesson planning.
129. Work in a soft play area.
130. Work at your current school and help your teachers, IT technicians, or maintenance staff.
131. Become a childminder or babysitter.
132. Volunteer at a youth club.
133. Volunteer at a nursery or daycare centre, such as Pioneer Childcare.
134. Shadow an ESL teacher.
135. Tutor younger students in a subject you’re good at, or teach them as part of one of your hobbies.

Veterinary Work Experience

The veterinary field is another one where relevant year 10 work experience can help you later down the line, because universities tend to value a selection of experiences in applicants. There are lots of interesting ways to get involved with animal care, helping you to learn about veterinary procedures and treatments.

136. Work at a dog home.
137. Shadow at a vet clinic.
138. Work at a cattery.
139. Work on a farm.
140. Work as a zookeeper’s assistant or work at a zoo (check out Chester Zoo’s volunteering page).
141. Become a local dog walker (this one might even let you make a bit of money!)

Vocational Work Experience

The opportunities for vocational work experience are endless. There are so many roles to suit a huge range of interests, so there’s guaranteed to be something for you.

142. Work at a car garage.
143. Work at a carpentry business.
144. Shadow a plumber or an electrician.
145. Work at a hairdresser’s or shadow a beautician.

Get Practical Work Experience with Immerse

The right work experience placement can be the key to shaping your future. It gives you a chance to explore different industries and gain crucial insights to make informed career decisions. 

Check out our Career Insights programme to get hands-on work experience in a range of industries, featuring a residential stay in London, New York, or San Francisco. 

Hopefully, these work experience ideas for year 10 students, give you a helpful start. It’s time to take a step toward your future and begin your career journey today.