Benifits of WIL job

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a final year software engineering student with 1.5 years of experience as a developer. In my last semester, there's a course option for Work Integrated Learning (WIL), where I'd get to work for a real company (unpaid and at a small scale company) on real projects. There's also potential for full-time employment afterward, though it's not guaranteed.

I'm debating whether to take this WIL course or not. Here are the factors I'm considering:

• Experience: I already have 1.5 years of development experience.
• Cost: The course will cost me $2000, which is manageable, on top of the $30,000 I've already spent.
• Resume Boost: I'm wondering if adding this WIL experience to my resume will give me a significant boost.
• Networking: There's a good opportunity to network with industry professionals.
• Workload: If I skip this course, my workload will be lighter, allowing me to focus on learning new skills on my own time.

Would it be a good idea to take this course despite already having experience? Or would it be better to focus on self-learning and other projects?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

Thanks!

Edit: the company I’m currently working for isn’t great either. But it’s bearable atm. If I do the course I’ll still be working at my current job.