“Work Experience” Means You Actually Have To Work

We have a student from a nearby technical college in the office for a few weeks for a work experience event. He tells me that he is really interested in doing a job similar to mine; however, he can’t seem to listen or even fake interest in anything I am showing him.

I figure maybe a lot of this stuff is going over his head. I tell him to take five and I will show him something simpler. Five minutes, fifteen minutes, and then thirty go past. I let my boss know he has gone missing. He, in turn, informs the college representative (on site to look after the students) who rings him.

It takes a full two hours before they find him down the shops, having not told anyone where he was going. They march him back to the office.

Student: “Well, I’m back.”

Me: “Yeah, I see.”

Student: “What were you going to show me, then?”

Me: “That’s been and gone. I have reports to do now and you can’t help with them.”

Student: “But I need to fill this for college!”

He waves some form at me.

Me: “And?”

Student: “It’s your job to show me!”

Me: “Nope, I’m doing my job — something I am now behind with because I was trying to show you, but you wouldn’t listen. This isn’t college, buddy. We don’t have to put up with you here.”

He swore at me and stomped off. My boss tried to get me to show him something, anything, but I truly was busy, and now I was not willing to stay late to catch up as I would have done. I’m not sure what happened to [Student] and not completing his work experience, but I’m sure he learnt something.