Virtual Work Experience

Learn where your skills are needed in the modern workplace and see the inner workings of a company. Meet and actively work with different departments on one exciting project, helping them to solve problems and to complete real-life tasks.

Estimated time required: 20-40 mins

Virtual Work Experience gives you a unique opportunity to gain work experience in a company that you might not normally get access to while highlighting the essential skills you might need. Over 50,000 people visited our virtual work experience in 2020.

What is the Virtual Work Experience tool?

By using this tool, you’ll get to see the inner workings of a digital transformation agency, and actively work with different departments on one exciting project, helping them solve problems and complete real-life tasks.

As part of the experience, you’ll also see lots of tips as well as links through to other LifeSkills content. These are designed to help you learn how best to deal with situations you may come across in the workplace. Following these links will help you get the most out of your virtual work experience and learn more about the vital skills you’ll need in the workplace.

Barclays LifeSkills is offering an online work experience programme for young people in the UK aged 14-19, which typically includes Year 10, 11, 12 and 13 (England and Wales), S3, S4, S5 and S6 (Scotland) and Year 11, 12, 13, 15 (Northern Ireland). This comprises online activities, 5 live sessions with Barclays employees and project work. It starts on Monday 23 October 2023, the deadline for applications is 19 October 2023 and you can register on springpod.com.

Why not extend your virtual work experience journey further by learning about a different industry, specifically financial services through our online lesson film outlining how a bank works and the different role available?

Alternatively, you can visit our virtual work experience hub for more tools and tips.

How do you use it?

The tool is an interactive video where you can ask and answer questions using buttons; think of it as a first-person role-playing game. You’ll meet lots of people from different departments of the agency and learn more about what they do.

What do I need to use it?

All you need to get going with this tool is a free LifeSkills account. It’s that easy.

How long will it take?

The tool should take approximately 20 mins to complete however there are lots of tips spread throughout that would be useful to check out as you go.  You can always come back to them afterwards too.

Why not extend your virtual work experience journey further by learning about a different industry, financial services, through our online lesson film outlining how a bank works and the different roles available?

Alternatively, you can visit our virtual work experience hub for even more tools and tips.

Once you’ve used the virtual work experience tool, why not get your CV ready for applications using our CV Builder tool.