work experience
noun [ U ]
WORKPLACE ukus mainly UK
a period of time during which a young person, usually a student, works for a company or organization in order to get experience of a particular type of work:
Networking, work experience, and shadowing are now usual steps on the path to employment.
do/gain/get work experience Every student can do a year's work experience in commerce, industry or the public sector.
a work experience placement/scheme/opportunity
offer/provide work experience Nine out of ten of the firms surveyed were in favour of offering work experience to pupils from disadvantaged areas.
Compare
internship
the jobs that someone has had, or the type of work they have done, in the past:
Despite advanced degrees and years of work experience, women are still under-represented in the higher echelons of business.
Applicants with few marketable skills and little work experience struggle in today's job market.
practical/relevant/valuable work experience