A guide to Placements and work experience
How to find placements and be successful.
Placements and work experience help you to learn about the industries
you are interested in and gives you lots to write about in future
applications and CVs. Many industries like to see relevant work experience
when applying for roles and or applying for higher education
Finding a placement
Thinking of ideas of where to go on placement or work experience can be
challenging. Rather than trying to find the ‘perfect’ opportunity, look for a
placement that ticks as many boxes as possible, focus on the wider career
industry rather than specific roles. For example, you may not be able to
shadow a doctor, but you could consider care homes, dental practices or
GP clinics. All will provide you with relevant experience and skills required
for your chosen field.
Steps to find work experience
1. Set goals for your work experience
Having goals for your work experience helps to keep you motivated while you are
in an unfamiliar environment with new people and challenges. Make a note of a
few simple objectives you want to achieve by the end of your placement. Some
goals could be:
a. Gaining experience of work in a specific profession, like law and
engineering
b. being in a particular type of work environment (such as an office or
shop)
c. observing or trying a particular skill (such as cooking, machining or
painting
d. getting a reference for university or work
e. learning to interact with customers, clients or patients
2. Search for work experience as early as possible
It is important to be proactive to secure a placement that fits your needs. If you
want to pursue a career in a competitive field like medicine or banking, you may
face competition for placements. Standing out to employers requires preparation
and diligent search started as early as you can.
3. Do your research
To ensure your choice of placement/work experiences right for you, research what
the roles you’re interested in entail. Using Unfrog https://www.unifrog.org/sign-in
or the National Careers Service https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ websites
can help to do this. Research also prepares you for your placement or work
experience, so you know what to expect on your first day.
4. Look for suitable work experience opportunities via college
Use the placement request form (add QR here) to request support from the
college placement team.
5. Contact HR departments to enquire about opportunities
If you know what types of work experience, you want you can contact HR
departments within relevant companies to ask whether they would accept a
student on a placement. Ensure you have a CV ready to send to interested
employers
6. Ask friends and family
Remember to look early to secure your first or second choice of placement. You
may however wish to shadow friends or a family member. This can then be
formalised by completing the necessary college paperwork.
7. Use social media to build relationships
Many companies have responsive social media accounts and respond to brief
enquiries. Keep communication short, ask for a named contact or email address of
a person who can help within the company. You can forward your personal
information to a named contact who may be able to progress your application
8. Create a CV to forward to businesses and organisations
Businesses like to learn more about you from your CV and may ask you to send
them one before agreeing your placement request. To create your CV you can use
the CV write on Unifrog https://www.unifrog.org/student/cv
What employers look for in work experience applicants.
Employers invest time and resources to ensure work experience students
have a positive experience. Employers appreciate students who are:
Punctual – in a work-environment, good timekeeping is crucial. Turn up
to work and other arranged activities on time
Smart presentation – while on your work experience you are
representing the employer, so dress appropriately based on the dress
code of your placement
A willingness to learn – you may find that staff members are more
enthusiastic about sharing their skills and knowledge if you show a
positive attitude in the work environment
A positive attitude – beyond a willingness to learn, employers are
looking for positive and engaged students that are making an effort to
engage with their work experience. Keep up a positive attitude throughout
your placement
