Not Impossible | How to Make Work Experience Work

When we think back to our work experience weeks, most of us remember the same thing: a lot of tea-making. You sit awkwardly in the corner of an office, doing your best to stay awake while someone tries to remember what they can actually give you to do. That, or you get dropped into a placement that has absolutely nothing to do with what you’re interested in. Sound familiar?

It’s no wonder employers can be hesitant to offer work experience. Let’s be honest – most of us are already juggling deadlines, meetings, and more Slack messages than any human should have to process. Taking on a student can feel like another thing to manage with little pay-off for either party.

We felt the same. But we also remembered how frustrating it was to be on the other side: being young, curious, and entirely in the dark about what real jobs actually look like. That’s why we decided to do things differently when we hosted two brilliant students earlier this summer and now collaborating with Emma and Luke from Not Impossible.

How we made work experience work at Gather Round

We approached it like we do everything else at Gather Round: with intention, creativity, and a focus on people.

First off, we made sure the students were actually interested in what they’d be doing. Both were keen on marketing, so we matched them with our Marketing Director and built a week to give them real, useful experience.

We kept it simple:

• A clear schedule with a daily plan and tangible goals and deliverables.
• Projects they could work on independently (with check-ins mid and end of day).
• A chance to contribute to real tasks that we actually needed help with.

They did competitor research, helped update our website, scheduled Instagram posts, and even did a story takeover. They learned how to calculate engagement, use Google Sheets to build a partners lead list, and got a proper behind-the-scenes look at how we work.

One of our students, Kai Atwood said, “I expected to have a great time and a firm understanding of how marketing works, and I absolutely was given that by Gather Round.”

That’s what we want to hear!

And honestly? It didn’t feel like extra work. Giving them structure upfront meant they could crack on with things, and checking in twice a day kept things flowing without eating into anyone’s schedule. The Gather Round team was thrilled with the work produced by both students. 

Kai told us that most of his friends were doing placements in primary schools, even though none of them wanted to be teachers. Because those were the only placements their parents could arrange (through the school). That’s precisely the problem Not Impossible is trying to fix.

So, what is Not Impossible?

Since we had such a positive experience with our work experience students, we decided to partner with Not Impossible – a work experience platform created by Luke Ashman and Emma Colwill, who’d seen first-hand how difficult it can be to host placements, particularly in modern, hybrid work environments. Instead of relying on the old ‘friends and family’ networks (which often shuts out anyone without connections), they have created a more inclusive, flexible system that aligns with modern work practices and fuels social mobility.

It’s work experience reimagined: smart matching (pairing based on shared passions and personalities) and ‘micro connections’ between young people and experienced professionals. One hour, one day – right through to internships, whatever fits. 

For employers, it’s a smart way to:

• Broaden talent pipelines
• Use volunteering time meaningfully
• Meet future collaborators (or hires)
• Give staff a chance to develop mentoring skills

One company put it perfectly: “It’s invaluable to understand the thoughts and challenges faced by young people to help inform future recruitment.”

For young people, it’s about getting a foot in the door – even if they don’t have a network. They meet people doing jobs they care about, ask questions, build confidence, and figure out what they want to do (and don’t). After a microplacement, students feel 85% more informed about their careers and 96% more optimistic about the future.

Xavi, one of their students from the University of Bristol, said,

“The match is based on your values, interests and compatibility. So you’re getting a better idea of how to navigate the world of work from the kind of people that you would actually like to work with.”

It works. And we’re fully on board!

To get a deeper understanding of the impactful work Not Impossible are doing watch their YouTube video here.

What we learned

Hosting students reminded us of the powerful role spaces like ours can play in helping young creatives find their path. We’re all about community, including making space for the next generation to explore, learn, and be inspired.

Our work experience students described Gather Round as “creative, friendly, inspiring and safe,” and said they’d recommend it to their friends. That means the world to us.

So if you’ve been on the fence about offering work experience, or wondering how to recruit strong talent without disrupting your workflow, give Not Impossible a look. Or if your a young person interested in work experience here at Gather Round we’ll be hosting opportunities through Not Impossible very soon.