1 About our career tasters
A career taster is usually unpaid (although out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed), short-term work that gives you an opportunity to gain skills, confidence and experience and makes it easier for you to move towards a paid job. People can work flexibly with us for between 6 and 12 weeks.
Because of our values and culture, the people who work for the council have told us that they are highly motivated and dedicated; they are passionate about delivering valued services that make a positive difference.
Our career taster programme gives you an ideal opportunity to see what it is like to work for us and the work experience can provide many benefits. In particular:
- it can help you develop essential skills and broaden your experience
- you will gain an understanding of what it's like to be in a work environment and it will help you to choose the right career path
- it’s an opportunity to take on some interesting and challenging responsibilities and see if they suit you
- it will help you identify what you are good at and perhaps highlight the areas that you might want to work on as part of your personal development
- our Learning and Development service offers a wealth of training and you will also have a mentor to learn from
- you can enhance your CV with case study examples, evidencing your interests and show that you are motivated to get into your chosen career
- it will equip you with other skills such as team working, communication skills and business awareness, helping you to stand out at job interviews
- it could lead to other opportunities, such as applying for an apprenticeship, a short-term contract or a full-time job.
A career taster is suitable for those who are eager to learn and share our values. The programme is open to everyone, including:
- career changers such as veterans and those returning from a career break
- young people who are looked after or leaving care
- student placements
- graduates seeking general work experience.
This scheme does not cover work experience placements for school children.
2 Applying for a career taster
Our career taster opportunities can be found in the WSCC Job Search (select 'Career Taster' from the 'Contract type' field).
Job search (external link)To apply, you need to complete the career taster application form attached to the advert and submit your CV.
If you cannot find a career taster that you are interested in, or would like to arrange a conversation about career tasters, please email organisational.development@westsussex.gov.uk.
Interviews
You will be asked to attend an interview before you start a career taster. This will be a short process and will help to guide your thinking about the placement and your suitability for it. You may also be invited in to meet people working on that team so that you can get a feel for the career taster on offer.
Please note, if you are on benefits you must inform Jobcentre Plus if you are accepted on a career taster scheme. More information is available on GOV.UK.
Checks
You will need to provide a reference and proof of identity to show that you are entitled to work in the UK.
We will only need to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if your placement involves:
- working with adults in regulated settings
- working with children and young people and your work is unsupervised
- working in a limited number of establishments.
3 Other opportunities
As well as career tasters, you may also be interested in the following:
- WSCC apprenticeships
- WSCC volunteering
- Your Space - this site is aimed at young people
You may also want to explore other opportunities in your local area, such as your local district council: