Member of the Somerset Youth Parliament advisory group, Abi Amponsah reflects on the importance of connections and networks in finding work experience. As always, Abi is an inspiration.
Hi all, short message here from Abi! October is my birthday month, and woooooow has it gone fast. With all that’s happening in the wider world too, celebrity deaths, exposures and conspiracies – what a month!
I’ve noticed that gaining work experience in Somerset has really catapulted by having connections and networks. Not necessarily because these companies are evil and are gatekeeping opportunities from people, but because of the struggle in modern advertising in terms of capacity and costs.
It’s not normal to spend millions and millions of pounds on advertisements for most organisations, and with big corporations nationally taking up huge amounts of space on the TV, mobile and radio advertisements, it’s hard for smaller companies to reach the right people.
Somerset Youth Forum and Parliament are amazing places to not only start your career, but give back to hard workers wanting to connect with youth voice, and I find that bigger opportunities are super simple to find through these roles.
My advice for finding opportunities in Somerset is joining some sort of organisation close to the sector and taking the time to scan through LinkedIn and Instagram profiles.
Click and follow a company you’re sort of interest in. They repost a photo from a collaboration with a different organisation that fits your passions much more, and follow them, then months later you’ve found/heard of tonnes of chances and opportunities in your sector of interest. After my A-Levels, that exact process plus connections from volunteering positions really boosted my work experience.
Applying and being accepted though, is a totally different discussion! But for now, for everybody looking for work experience in Somerset – keep on going!
Abi x
Youth Parliament
Did you know that Somerset Youth Parliament isn’t just it’s elected members? Any young person in Somerset aged 10-25 years can become a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group.
For more information about becoming a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group and to join, click here.
Youth Forum
Young people across Somerset are encouraged to scrutinise Somerset’s services through a youth-led forum, where topics affecting them are discussed, their views collected and their voices shared, this helps Somerset deliver safe services for young people and families. Youth Forum meets monthly over Teams, in addition to discussing important topics we also have quizzes and games.
If you would like to join in or become a member of any of our Youth Voice Groups please fill in our Expression of Interest Form
