When it comes to climbing up the corporate ladder, a lot of us use work experience as a major stepping stone to bolster our resumes and give us some insight into our future jobs. However, a lot of the time, these experiences are pretty horrific and strenuous, and do not echo the responsibilities of the actual job we are seeking.
This Twitter thread around horrific work experience memories was started by writer Nadine von Cohen, who shared her story about how when she was in Year 10, she did an internship for the Kerri-Anne Kennerley‘s breakfast show, which was aptly titled Kerri-Anne.
“Fuck yeah, just remembered how in Year 10 I did work experience at Channel 9,” wrote Cohen.
“When I was working on Kerri-Anne’s show, Diana Ross was a guest & this dude showed up with a giant collage of her and a box and they got me, a 16-year-old, to search the box for weapons. He had none [in] the end.”
FUCK YEAH JUST REMEMBERED HOW IN YEAR 10 I DID WORK EXPERIENCE AT CHANNEL 9 & WHEN I WAS WORKING ON KERRYANNE’S SHOW DIANA ROSS WAS A GUEST & THIS DUDE SHOWED UP WITH A GIANT COLLAGE OF HER AND A BOX & THEY GOT ME A 16 YEAR OLD TO SEARCH THE BOX FOR WEAPONS HE HAD NONE THE END
— Nadine J. Cohen (@nadinevoncohen) January 27, 2021
This fked story inspired others to chime in with their own experiences, and damn, are y’all okay?
One Twitter user recalled the time that they had to hold a cat’s legs open during a work experience stint at the vets. Apparently, this cooked little moment helped them decided to never be a vet, which just tells you how wild it is.
https://twitter.com/Moldick1/status/1354400710142488578?s=20
Some other stories sat on the shorter side of things, but still packed a punch. Fluro pink choose life shirts? I hate it here.
I screenprinted fluro pink CHOOSE LIFE t-shirts 😞 https://t.co/RtzcZncwJx
— Antfarmer (@antfarmer) January 27, 2021
Oh to be a 16-year-old responsible for teaching an entire class of kids your age all in the name of work experience.
WHAT ????
Work experience used to be so weird. I did mine in a high school & ended being sick on the day I was meant to literally teach a class. My mentor gave me no score for one section of my report because she didn’t get to see me, a 16 year old, teach other 16 year olds.— Sarah McDonald (@Sarah_McDonald_) January 27, 2021
This next one is proper fucked, and I truly hate that work experience/internships/traineeships can get away with such behaviour.
18 y/o just started a traineeship for local council. CEO told me I had to go down the jetty and tell off the burly tuna fishermen for something. Didn’t realise I could hear staff from the council balcony when the CEO said ‘Im just sending them something pretty to look at… https://t.co/J8MyLhnuQy
— Skye Akbar (@skyeakbar) January 27, 2021
That’s so funny!! I did work experience at Channel 10 – in the kitchen.
We cooked all the food they used on the set of Prisoner! (Yes it was 1980 ????)— Jane Mills (@whatjanesays) January 27, 2021
I did “work experience” at a law firm and they told me to “walk to court and have a look around” then gave me lots of folders involving a case for a senior fed politician to “sit and have a read”.
— Pialehra (@Pialehra) January 27, 2021
Does anyone remember Harry’s Practise? Well, Em Rusciano sure does, and recalls that the most fucked up part of doing work experience for the show was seeing Harry without his iconic hat. Now that is truly some messed up shit.
I did work experience at ch 7 on Harry’s Practise. I saw him without the Kangol cap on. Let us never speak of this again. https://t.co/yM0vzfA8OF
— Em Rusciano (@EmRusciano) January 27, 2021
Teachers, if any of you are reading this, we love you for what you do. Honestly, y’all impress me to no end, and anyone doing this stuff for an unpaid work experience stint is quite literally a god.
30 sugar high 5-6 year olds vs 1.75 adults
— Maddie Latham (@MadLatham) January 28, 2021
At least after all that there are some positive experiences.
I did my work experience at @3RRRFM over 10 years ago and loved it – I was “too efficient” with every job they gave me (hehe), I got to record my own lil radio show and I got to pick a bunch of CDs to take home. What a time 🥰 https://t.co/5HySDJ0KZV
— LU (@luana_bananaa) January 27, 2021
If you need me I’ll just be sitting here thankful that I’ve never had an awful work experience. Some of these sound super suckish.
