Guide to Writing Letters for Work Experience
The first challenge of work experience is finding a place you are interested in working at and then writing to ask for a placement.
- Letters can be typed or handwritten – if handwritten ask someone to check that it looks neat enough and is easy to read.
- Write to more than one potential placement.
- If you get offered more than one place make sure you let any business know if you are NOT taking that place so it can be offered to someone else.
- Make sure you put your name/address so they can contact you to let you know if you have been successful.
- Ensure you put the date you require work experience.
- Make sure you apply to the named person (if known) and use the correct address. Use the internet to research addresses – telephone to ask who you should address a letter to.
- Give your age.
- List the GCSE courses and any other qualifications you are taking at school.
- Say why you want the experience with them, e.g if writing to a restaurant say you are interested in a career in catering.
- Give details of any skills and experience that you have.
- Give details about your main hobbies or interests, do you play in any sports teams, compete in sports, play instruments, involved in drama, part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme?
- Enclosing a stamped addressed envelope in with your letter (an envelope with your name and address written on the front and with a stamp on) will often encourage people to reply and it shows initiative.
- Make sure you finish the letter in the correct manner:
- If you start with ‘Dear Mr or Mrs……..’ finish with Yours sincerely
- If you start with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ finish with Yours faithfully
- Make a note of all of the different employers/companies that you have written to so that you can check who has responded.