Ever heard about PRAO?

[Kal'thzar]

we have work experiance, although because i had recently been diagnoised an epileptic, and the job I was offered was on the other side of town, my mum deceided I couldn't go. (shes thankyfully lightned up about that in the past 3-4 years...or is it 6-8 I forget).

Anyway, I heard mixed things about it. I suppose it depends on how motivated you are to learn and how intresting the place is.

 

[Love]

Prao sucks! A guy who went in my school, did prao there as Maintainer... How bad!

 

[Swedishguy]

Actually I've got a job thanks to PRAO. We were about 5-6 people who wanted the same job, I got it because I've used to work there during my PRAO.

That's merit. Merit and business contacts are two different things.

 

[mrtn]

I did two periods of PRAO 15 years ago. One was great, the other sucked. So, all in all the experience was good.

What Swedishguy didn't mention was that you do this when you're (about) 14 years old, so it's not the same as what you may do in your later, post-high school, education.

 

[bhsup]

What Swedishguy didn't mention was that you do this when you're (about) 14 years old, so it's not the same as what you may do in your later, post-high school, education.

Oh. Well shoot, just go to your nearest farmer and ask if you can help bale hay or something if you want to experience work when you're 14/15.

 

[History_Buff]

That's merit. Merit and business contacts are two different things.

Yeah it's merit, but it's also business contacts. The other people may have been just as qualified (or more so), who knows. But the company knows that you are good enough to work there. Why take a chance with someone else?

 

[Volum]

I think your 15 when you first have work weeks here. At my school when your 14 you have to work a week at a farm. The joys of living in the middle of nowhere i guess

 

[Cathy]

Whole thing was just an exercise in looking very busy without actually getting anything done.

Isn't that what work is all about, at least in the office? Just read some Dilbert comic strips and you will see what i mean...

 

[funxus]

PRAO is good, there's way too little connection with the industries and businesses from the schools in Sweden. In fact, a recent report on the issue has made them change this policy to promote more connections with the "real world", and I reckon this should include the lower educations as well, not only universities. You may think you don't learn anything, but you do get a taste of how it is in a working environment, what topics are discussed at coffee break, the jargong of different kinds of employees (e.g. bosses, engineers and machinists), the complaints on bosses and other people... Even though you had a bad time, you probably picked up a lot of things on the way.

Where on SU are you having your PRAO btw?

 

[GinandTonic]

... make coffee, backup CDs, shred things, file things, setup a computer and move furniture...

... days ... of an imbecile spouting management buzzwords and getting us to do inane "teambuilding" exercises. Whole thing was just an exercise in looking very busy without actually getting anything done.

Welcome to the work place

The last line in particular just about sums up many peoples experience of the workplace. One of the main reasons I prefer working for myself - work hard or relax, the futility of putting effort into looking like your working hard is mindnuming. One good stratagy is to carry a stack of the most hated paperwork in the office - timesheets, half complete sales-figures whtever. Management will never question what you are doing since they dont want anything to do with it any more than anyone else. Along with the awsome power of alt-tab you can look busy for ever.

 

[Bamspeedy]

What Swedishguy didn't mention was that you do this when you're (about) 14 years old, so it's not the same as what you may do in your later, post-high school, education.

Oh, for high school kids over here in the states that would be called 'job shadowing'. you just 'shadow' the person watching what they do in a typical workday, ask them questions about their work, etc. It's typically for just one or two days over here. I seem to remember having this option in high school, but I must have decided to do something else as an alternative, because I don't remember doing a job shadow. I think I was given an option to either job-shadow and then write a 3 page report about it, or do a 5 page report on something else. Since I found it easier to research and partially plagarize, I did the 5 page report.

 

[Love]

Prao is like a holiday if you praos on the right place...

 

[Sophie 378]

I've had three sets (each of a week) of work experience, the UK equivalent of PRAO.

Two of them were great: I went to local industrial laboratories (a cheese factory and a refinery) and spent the whole time playing with wonderful machines and dangerous chemicals, great fun.

The other one I kept nearly falling asleep; I spent the whole week being told about all the paperwork the Environment Agency does, and the most exciting thing I did all week was to sort the box of maps into number order.

So, in my experience: sometimes it's useful and interesting; you gain new skills and learn interesting stuff and have fun and make some contacts and come out with a good reference and you can put it in your CV. Otoh, sometimes it's a complete waste of time for all concerned.