By Alex Martinsmith
Placement Overview
First of all, an introduction to the placement scheme itself. Known officially as a ‘Degree with Employment Experience’, a placement is taken in between the second and third year of study. The placement is a year-long and usually start at the beginning of July at an organisation of your choice.
My placement was at Boeing Defence, a UK subsidiary of The Boeing Company, the largest aerospace company in the world. I was based in Bristol all year but had the opportunity to travel to other sites like London and RAF bases across the country. There was a huge portfolio of products and services, split into 4 main categories:
- Rotorcraft – Selling military helicopters like the Chinook and Apache
- Fixed Wing – Selling military aircraft like the C17 Globemaster and P-8 Maritime Patrol
- Information Systems – Providing software to the MOD as well as crime fighting applications to UK police forces and security agencies like the National Crime Agency
- Training and Government Services – Providing military simulators and solutions as well as government consultancy.
What’s involved?
In terms of university work there’s very little involved. There are two placement reports you need to finish by the end of the year and the potential to present what you learnt to other students and staff when you return. Other than that and two placement visits, you’re left to get on with your day job. Every role differs but placement students are never burdened with the tea making. I had some serious responsibility over the course of the year, working on numerous bids worth upwards of £200m. I even wrote the proposal for a £350,000 opportunity at one point!
Most companies have a structured placement scheme. You’ll get to experience a lot more of the business than some permanent employees do; I worked in a department that meant I got to experiment with work on all the four business categories as well as travel, attend industry days and conferences. Companies spend a lot of time and effort helping you develop and there’s a lot of opportunities to not only boost your CV but build your personal skillset and prepare yourself for a career.
What do you get out of it?
Aside from the obvious points like a brilliant looking CV with some strong experience, there are plenty of important things you gain. Firstly, you develop yourself as a person. Sounds quite cheesy but it’s really easy to forget about this: managing my time both in and out of work, motivating myself and boosting my confidence in the workplace are all skills I never really thought about until I began my placement. They’re really useful to take back to university and will be even more useful in my graduate job.
Secondly, it can be incredibly helpful for planning the next couple of years. Placement drastically improved my work ethic which is easily translated back into my final year which (hopefully) means better grades! It should help you plan for what sort of career or job role you want and in the ever expanding market of graduate schemes this should not be overlooked. It can be quite a chore sifting through the thousands of employers and roles and if you have a vague idea it’s a big bonus. My final point is the value it places on University. I’m going to take full control of my final year, take on every opportunity and make the most out of my time; something I probably wouldn’t have done if I’d have just gone straight to my final year.
What to do now?
If you’re about to start university then I’d try to make a decision now. I know it’s a difficult commitment but it’ll make the application process a lot easier. If you don’t want to decide now, I’d probably say that you have until the end of first year to say yes or no. In the interim, I’d go and see the Employability Hub and have a chat with both your family and personal tutor to help you decide.
Summer at the end of first year is the important period; you’ll need to make a list (a spreadsheet is handy) of the companies you want to apply to and some links/emails/telephones/people that you’ll need to go through when it comes to getting in contact. Secondly, you’ll need to update your CV. If you’re really organised you could do it in your academic year and get advice from the management school but don’t worry if you haven’t. Read posts on how to stand out and ensure you tick all those keywords off your list. Finally, vet your social media. Employers are using this as a way of choosing interns more and more. Make sure Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. are all acceptable and build yourself a LinkedIn profile if you don’t already have one.
Final step is to get applying! Attend some of the assessment centre and interview help days run by the Employability Hub if you aren’t sure what to expect. If you want any help or inspiration, get in contact: amartinsmith1@sheffield.ac.uk .