If you are currently applying for placement year opportunities, or you are going to be applying soon, take a look at these top tips provided by some of our current placement year students!
“Everything works out in the end. You may be set on working for a certain company, and you may not receive an offer from them, but the company that you do get an offer from is most definitely the better fit for you. Use a variety of different websites to find placements, including the main ones such as Blackboard and MyJobsOnline, TARGETJobs, Gradcracker, RateMyPlacement, Indeed, and Bright Network. Keep in contact with the placement team as they are there to assist you along the way.”
– (Anaika, Consumer Behaviour and Marketing with Professional Placement Year)
“All I would say is do not give up and stick with it! Another thing I would say is apply to roles wider than your degree path/ interests. I am doing geography and ended up with a project management placement. I applied to jobs that looked interesting and were open to different disciplines. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, the placement team at the university are really supportive and will help in any way they can. I had mock interviews, advice on the psychometric tests and general support from them.”
– (Ellen, Human and Physical Geography with Professional Experience)
“Before applying for the job write down the skills and tasks they will expect you to do during the placement and alter your CV to fit their expectations.”
– (Psychology with Professional Experience)
“Apply, apply, apply! I think in the end the number of schemes I applied for was in the double digits. Keep up with extra-curricular activities and building your CV.”
– (Will, Pharmacology with Placement Year)
“What I did was complete a Mock Assessment centre which the university provides, this was extremely useful because when it came to my real Assessment centre, I knew exactly what to do and could build on the feedback I had received. If you get to the final stages of an application, connect on LinkedIn with graduates or students that work in that company and ask them for advice of what to include.”
– (Rebecca, Consumer Behaviour and Marketing with Professional Placement Year)
“Be yourself in interviews. Try and think of it as a conversation rather than an interview. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, however insignificant they may seem, as it will build your confidence and break down the barrier between you and the interviewer. If you get rejected, whether it is after the first or final interview stage, process it, ask for feedback, and move on. Don’t get hung up on one loss and what ‘could have been’. The right placement will come.”
– (Billy, Classical Studies and English Literature with Placement Year)
“It is important to stay motivated, don’t waste your energy on placements you don’t care about. I would also really recommend booking as many meetings with the placement team as you think you may need; they are an amazing and resourceful team that have been a pivotal point in my journey.”
– (Consumer Behaviour and Marketing with Professional Placement Year)
Thank you to all the students who contributed these quotes about their placement year.
If you need any advice or support with your placement search, the Placements Team are here to help! You can contact them at placements@reading.ac.uk.
Emily Dewell, Placement Coordinator