In my previous blog post I spoke about the common themes that have occurred in my research. One of these predominant themes was that students really value a palpable output for their placement work. By that I mean that they are able to produce something tangible to show for the work that they have done. These outputs, which could be in the form of a blog post, banner, video or report, help the student understand how their input has shaped the research or project.
Henley Business School placement student Hannah Little
These outputs also help the student to appreciate what the outcomes of the placement are likely to be. In the most successful placements, supervisor or employers have encouraged the student to reflect on their progress and think about how they can use these outputs to evidence their experience once they graduate and go on to look for employment.
I have really valued being able to blog about my experiences and make videos that have signposted my progress throughout my research. Without these digital outputs I think it would be harder to communicate to a potential employer how I am developing my skills and what lasting impact my work has on the Digitally Ready project.
I have invited some of my fellow students to reflect on their experiences and talk about their contribution to the projects they have been working on.
Hannah Little, a third-year Philosophy student, has spent 10 weeks interning at Henley Business School. She has been involved in a number of different projects and has had the opportunity to work with people from across the school. Hannah has spent time with the marketing and business development team, worked with program directors and operations staff, and managed a troubleshooting project for some of the school’s senior hospitality managers.
Hannah’s projects have been extremely diverse, she said ‘I produced a competitor analysis report for the marketing team, looked at client profiling for business development and acted as a troubleshooting consultant for operations staff and hospitality managers. The troubleshooting project involved organizing interviews with a cross-section of staff to establish the facts and assess the issues. I put on a workshop to brainstorm and discuss potential solutions with operations staff. I then presented the proposed solutions to a team of senior decision-making managers and – armed with all the facts – facilitated the discussion to help them reach the best solution for everyone involved.’
‘This internship has given me a taste of a number of the different career paths I was considering for when I leave university. I’ve gained an important insight as to the kind of work I most enjoy doing. Developing my digital skills to produce things like the analysis report has been invaluable.The time I’ve spent at Henley will play a crucial role in helping me find the career that is right for me.’
More case studies of students work will be coming soon.
