Student practice – first job … Experience, experience and more experience.
This is the most common request that new graduates or masters encounter when looking for first real employment. What can you do to ensure better competencies and employment opportunities for yourself?
In present times, graduates are facing a different environment when they finish their studies in comparison to the former generations. The environment they are entering today is fuelled by different dynamics, different requirements and conditions of employers. Expectations are high and student experience is (almost) zero. Anyone who decides to pursue studies after finishing secondary school should be aware of this.
Selection of studies
Not all study programmes support or include practical training. But we are aware that soon they will need to, because theory alone does not ensure memorable long-term knowledge.
Student practice is a compulsory part of all higher professional study programmes. Those primarily encourage the acquisition of professional knowledge during the studies and thus ensure equivalent parallel education. This way, the students in such fields experience the use of scientific methods for solving work problems from a very early stage. They are placed in a real environment and required to solve demanding professional issues or situations. We must not forget about the rich communication skills that are developed during the practice in the profession and between professions. Student practice is also useful for professional criticism and student responsibility. It promotes autonomy in decision-making and the ability of critical thinking.
Student practice is also a part of certain academic study programmes, but it is not mandatory.
Student practice as a course at SASS
At the School of Advanced Social Studies, we offer practical training in both undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes. The students in the programmes Social management and Psychosocial Counselling witness the reality of the profession as early as in the first semester of the first study year. Students can select the institution for fulfilling their study obligations themselves or choose from our list of participating organizations. The student practice is carried out in institutions or companies that primarily focus on the subject of the chosen field of study.
As a School, we strive to have a wide learning base and a rich list of communities that will complement the students’ theoretical and practical knowledge. Our general opinion is that practical training should be a mandatory part of the social science studies.
Student practice abroad?
Yes, you can also go to student practice abroad. Want to know how?
Student practice may be carried out abroad through student mobility programmes (Erasmus, CEEPUS, etc.). In this case, the practice is adjusted to the requirements of the provider abroad and to the rules of mobility programmes. Beside all the formalities that need to be met (read more here), student practice abroad has quite a few advantages. In addition to basic employer skills, the student can also learn about the different nature of work and learn a foreign language in the meantime. Experience gained in such a way can be extremely rich and will certainly influence the student’s future employability.
Employer’s opinion on student practice
The vast majority of employers praise the work of students on practice and consider their willingness and motivation to fulfil their obligations as very positive. They are particularly satisfied that young people get integrated into real work environment and learn to work in larger groups, which requires a lot of adjustment and responsibility. The student practice is also considered as positive because of the possible future cooperation with the student after the completion of the study (that is not guaranteed). It should be noted that a large share of our graduates gets regular employment in the organization where they carried out their student practice.
