In this series ‘Meet Student Services‘ we will be talking to teams throughout Student Services, putting a face to the team name, getting to know them and the services on offer to all students at The University of Reading.
This time let’s meet The Placements Team
Name:
Em Sowden – The Placements Team
A little more about you:
I have worked at the University of Reading for 21 years and in that time, I have supported the university to revolutionise placement learning for students and I absolutely love it.
When I started my role in the millennium, around 100 students were doing a placement per annum, now we have approx. 4,000 students out on placement each year!
I have had a few side hustles during my career in placements, including running my own live music PR company, working as an A&R scout, and have also worked in the film and radio industry. My fun fact is that I was once made to dress up as Santa in a University promotions video…
Tell us about the services your team provides:
I lead the fantastic placement team within The Careers and Placements Service, which supports students through all aspects of their curricular placement whether it’s a mandatory or optional part of their degree.
We run workshops, 1-1 appointments, events, allocate students to their professional training placements, and ensure all the important paperwork is completed so students can start their placements safely and with confidence.
A tip(s) for students at UoR:
Be prepared, don’t give up and all experience is a step in the right direction.
Many students worry about getting their first placement or internship, but everyone has to start somewhere.
A placement can make a huge difference to your career confidence! A Placement will give you the chance to not only contextualise what you’ve been learning at university but can help you to network, build up your transferable skills, and also gives you the opportunity to build your cultural awareness if you want to explore the globe.
All our undergraduate programmes offer a placement, either as a mandatory or optional aspect of your degree. For more information on how we can support you, please check our pages on Essentials.