The Work Experience program, known as WorkX, is open to Grade 10-12 students and offers opportunities to engage in work experience and meet professionals in various fields of study.
Imperial College Business School
Xavier Goff (’25) participated in a two-week WorkX program offered by Imperial College Business School. Goff said he engaged in research on the varying financial departments in universities.
“We were doing some research about different financial departments around the world in different colleges,” Goff said. “We focused mainly on departments in the U.K., France and the U.S. We ranked them and did research on the professors there.”
Goff said he learned new technical and research skills during his work placement.
“We learned a little bit about the programming language R,” Goff said. “We used that to make graphs to later present the findings. We also did learn how to navigate Google Scholar and how to note down all the research we made.”
The WorkX program is intended to provide students with fruitful learning experiences outside of the classroom, according to ASL’s website. These real-life interactions can support students as they ponder their post-high school aspirations. Goff said his experience helped him solidify his university choices.
“Before I did the placement, I was leaning more towards UCL and their robotics program,” Goff said. “But, when I went to Imperial and experienced everything, such as the location, it gave me a different perspective, and now my main choice is Imperial.”
Ares Management
Similar to Goff, Adi Tsonev (’25) said his experience at Ares Management, an alternative investment manager, helped him plan his university application.
“I’m applying to econ and computer science,” Tsonev said. “I learned how finance is very intertwined with economics. For example, scarcity of a certain resource affects the company’s earnings. You can kind of apply that knowledge to your personal statement.”
Additionally, Tsonev said his placement introduced new concepts and vocabulary that deepened his understanding of financial economics.
“We learned presentational skills and financial terminology,” Tsonev said. “We learned how it applies to defining companies to invest in or to help with an LBO acquisition. That was really helpful as I can apply that to future internships or jobs.”
Moreover, Tsonev said he worked closely with his placement’s mentors, who were helpful and supportive.
“My desk was literally against their desk,” Tsonev said. “I would just pop up my head for help and they were always happy to help out. All the mentors would find time for us and it was super easy to ask staff questions.”
Beauchamp Estates
Tami Shasha (’26) said she enjoyed her experience at Beauchamp Estates, a luxury real estate agency, as it was close to the school.
“I really enjoyed that it was on St. John’s Wood High Street,” Shasha said. “All the sites I was working with were the ones I was familiar with already. I was able to get more information that I would have never known if I wasn’t working at this WorkX, so it was very personal to me.”
Moreover, Shasha said she was glad to realize real estate does not require a certain degree.
“The special thing about real estate, which I learned through this experience, is that you don’t necessarily have to go and major in it,” Shasha said. “For me, that was not even a relief, but such an amazing piece of information.”
Overall, Shasha said her experience was interactive and allowed her to dive into her focal point.
“I was able to visit sites, such as different houses and apartments,” Shasha said. “I was also able to host and shadow viewings. I had a lot of freedom in what I wanted to focus on, so that experience was just amazing for me.”
