Work experience

‘During my time at the council I learnt about the different departments and how they work, I did not know much about the council before. I mostly enjoyed the Finance team; they were all nice and helpful. I would advise future applicants not worry about it as people are nice and helpful. I would recommend applying for work experience at the council, depending on what you expect from a job or what role you want.’

‘I wanted to experience what a workshop was like because I am looking at doing a degree in Automotive Engineering and Motorsports and I thought it would give me hands-on experience. I’ve learnt about how many vehicles the council has, which I had no idea about, and the work the council do for UK Power Networks. During my time here they had a Wellbeing day which shows they care for their staff as I didn’t know things like that happened in the workplace. I mostly enjoyed having the opportunity to actually work on the vehicles.’

‘I chose my work experience at the council because I really wanted to see the kind of environment the office was and if I were to choose the construction industry what side I wanted to be on, public or private. I didn't really grasp how many people it takes to get something done, and how many people information goes through to reach the final stage. I mostly enjoyed being surrounded by kind people that answered all of my questions, and how they made me feel really certain that this was the kind of job I wanted to do. Also, how they gave me helpful resources and tips. I would absolutely recommend doing work experience with the council. I think work experience here is a great way to understand the office work environment and get an idea for the level of professionalism needed.’

‘I chose the council for my work experience placement because it offered services close to my preferred future career. I most enjoyed doing surveys during my time here. Applying for the placement was easy and reliable.’

‘I choose the council for my work experience placement because there are a lot of teams to choose from which have different roles. I enjoyed getting to know the staff and learning about the different roles they all have. I particularly enjoyed the HR team because I was able to understand more about them and going into more depth about apprenticeships. I would advise future applicants to not be nervous because everyone here is welcoming and helpful with anything you are unsure of. Applying for work experience was an easy process because I was given all the information I needed, and I had nothing to worry about.’

‘I wanted to find out more about how local government works and what opportunities there are within local government. Also, because I have an interest in politics and law, I chose work experience at the council to experience both departments and learn more about both. I enjoyed talking to people from all different departments and hearing about their career journey. I found it useful to hear from people who have been where I want to be in the future. I also got a lot of great advice and support from the team. I was happy with the entirety of my work experience at West Suffolk. I would potentially like to come back and spend more time with the democratic services team due to my interest in politics. I would recommend West Suffolk to anyone looking for work experience as everyone I have met has been so lovely and welcoming as well as being professional, informative and sharing their expertise. I really appreciated how many people made time to speak with me, sharing useful advice and often going out of their way to help me.’

‘I wanted to experience what it is like working in an office. I mostly enjoyed having to learn about different jobs there are in the teams and doing some tasks. I would advise future applicants that here is a good place for work experience.’

‘I chose my work experience placement here because it seemed the closest to my future jobs’ preference. I learned that it is really big and requires lots of hardworking people to run it. I mostly enjoyed the interactive sessions, and I would advise potential applicants to apply as they will definitely enjoy it, the process was easy.’

‘I did not know where to apply and my mother helped me choose the council. I didn’t know much about it but now I know that there are multiple departments with different teams like the Planning team. I most enjoyed the CPR course and helping the Planning team by filling up boxes with files.’