Work experience - please help!

[Steve Swancott]

So sadly I applied for the Rutherford Appleton laboratory in Harwell, and after taking quite a while i was sadly declined as they had too may applicants, which has lowered my options completely as many places end applications before March.

I have a real interest in astronomy so somewhere that offers this would be brilliant.

If anyone has any contacts or knows anywhere that offers this please reply!

And I am 15 (some places offer only 16+)

Many thanks,

Steve

[dweller25]

Steve,

Very impressive that you are  trying all the options you can think of - keep going......

[Steve Swancott]

Its so hard as you either have to be 16 or applications have closed, silly that they left it this long to be honest

[purdo]

Hi Steve,  hopefully some of the more experienced members of the forum may have contacts.  Don't give up or be downhearted just keep trying. It may seem bad now, but you have youth on your side.  Easy for me to say I know, but best of luck.

[Steve Swancott]

Many thanks for your support, sadly time is limited so I have got to spread the word to get some options!

[purdo]

Steve, is this the only forum you have posted it on, you could try other forums too.

[Steve Swancott]

Am i allowed to?

[purdo]

Sorry Steve, I didn't mean on the SGL site, but there are other sites you could try, I'm not a member of any others but if you google UK Astronomy sites, you will see them there.  Just thought it would give you a wider "audience" so to speak.

[RichM63]

Providing that you applied well within time, with the correct paperwork, and no otherwise counter problems, I wouldn't initially take no for an answer.

Together you and your Physics teacher or Advisor (I don't know current terminology) should use the About us/Contact us page of their website and phone them to plead your case. 

I know that in a past life, I have given people a chance, when they took the initiative, its a question of hitting on the right person at the right time. You need a bit of luck.

Hopefully you'll get to where you want to go, eventually.

Best,

Rich

[sandyshaw]

Remind them you are cheap as in FREE slave labour. and you make a great cuppa.

[Steve Swancott]

Haha, RAL have a set work experience program, and were 3x overbooked so to be honest I dont think I can plead my case!

[RichM63]

Haha, RAL have a set work experience program, and were 3x overbooked so to be honest I dont think I can plead my case!

And you always think this way?

Never accept the obvious until it is set in stone.... and even then, a hammer and chisel is handy.

If you don't even try you will never get a result.

Go for it.

Rich...Out

[Peter Drew]

In 1970 I applied to emigrate to Canada as several of those I knew had already done so. My application was turned down flat. Not a one for taking no for an answer I went down to Canada House in London and demanded to know why. It appeared that I had omitted to say that I had a job to go to, it was a yes/no box. I explained that I was self employed and taking my business with me. A quarter of an hour later I was interviewed by the High Commissioner. It didn't seem to go well and I must have looked somewhat downcast, he went into another room briefly, returned smiling, said I was just the type they welcomed and handed me authorisation headed Top Priority. As it happened I didn't go after all but it does prove that sticking your neck out sometimes creates results.    

[sandyshaw]

In 1970 I applied to emigrate to Canada as several of those I knew had already done so. My application was turned down flat. Not a one for taking no for an answer I went down to Canada House in London and demanded to know why. It appeared that I had omitted to say that I had a job to go to, it was a yes/no box. I explained that I was self employed and taking my business with me. A quarter of an hour later I was interviewed by the High Commissioner. It didn't seem to go well and I must have looked somewhat downcast, he went into another room briefly, returned smiling, said I was just the type they welcomed and handed me authorisation headed Top Priority. As it happened I didn't go after all but it does prove that sticking your neck out sometimes creates results.  

Yes most countries welcome you with open arms when youre brining money in.

[brantuk]

You'll get in next year I'm sure - you're only 15 so you have your whole life ahead of you. But it's what you do over the next year that matters if you really have exhausted all possibilities. Try and get some kind of astro related work in the meantime. Maybe a school project helping to build an observatory, or working for somewhere like Keilder Forest obsy. There must be loads of things out there you can do with a little extra imagination. Loads of luck to you Steve.

[Steve Swancott]

I dont know, despite all the support if there is no room there is no room, so i cannot appeal, and we do not offer it next year only this year and could you expand on astro related work, some more ideas? I did actually have loads of preparations to set up an astronomy club in high worth i had speakers booked, viewing nights a massive filed but no interest so...

Well many thanks for the support  please spread the word!

[AlexB67]

In 1970 I applied to emigrate to Canada as several of those I knew had already done so. My application was turned down flat. Not a one for taking no for an answer I went down to Canada House in London and demanded to know why. It appeared that I had omitted to say that I had a job to go to, it was a yes/no box. I explained that I was self employed and taking my business with me. A quarter of an hour later I was interviewed by the High Commissioner. It didn't seem to go well and I must have looked somewhat downcast, he went into another room briefly, returned smiling, said I was just the type they welcomed and handed me authorisation headed Top Priority. As it happened I didn't go after all but it does prove that sticking your neck out sometimes creates results.  

I think Peter mentions a lot of good points here. I can only go back to the days I was undergraduate preparing to study and apply for a PhD. I took to take a punt for a laugh with one of the best molecular spectroscopist in the business at the time in the UK thinking I'd have no hope. My initial application was turned down flatly an I rang to ask why. The long and the short of it was that following that conversation on the phone he passed my application to an even more reputable spectroscopist and he invited me over for an interview flight and expenses paid and all, the rest is history and out of an extra interview for which many were competing  I landed it, so you never know what lies ahead   

[itmo]

One thing you can learn from this, is that if there is no penalty for having multiple irons in the fire, have as many in the fire as you can. And only stop adding once one comes out so good you are totally sure it is perfectly good.