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Do you want to do a Placement Year? We have all the information you will need!
Our page will go through everything you need to know about securing your placement and what it's like when you join the world of Industry. Check out all our resources if you are interested or are already planning for one!
What is a Placement Year?
What is a Placement Year?
A placement year is a sandwich year, that is typically spent working as a paid intern within a company/ charity. This can be within any Industry of your choice, most students go with a company that aligns well with their future interest or at most within their field of study.
The majority of students work all around the UK at various companies, however, it is not unheard of to join a company abroad and work there for the year. To pass the year you must complete a minimum of 8 months at your placement.
How to Apply?
How to Apply?
Applying to Internships and Placements can be a stressful and humbling experience. The first on your placement checklist is sorting out your CV. Having a strong CV is critical to showing companies you mean business when applying. Ensure to check your CV with the Placement team before you start sending it on your applications to make sure it makes sense and flows well.
CV writing is a complicated process, checking out our CV writing tips might help you to collate your work experience and ensure you have added all key words. Our best tip is to send your CV to friends and family to check it out, you never know what mistakes you might have missed.
Prepping for Interview?
Prepping for Interview?
One of the biggest challenges when in the application stages for a placement is the Interview step. Our top tip is to be natural, being yourself and showing your passion for your subject is the way to impress the company recruiters. Go through our Interview tip document to best prepare for your interview.
Our placement team at the University is committed to aiding your journey to a placement so ask them about their Mock Interview Sessions to get a chance to trial your skills before the real thing.
Fees and Funding?
Fees and Funding?
The majority of placements nowadays are paid placements, this means that your company will provide you with at least minimum wage for your time. Typically students are paid around £18,000 to £19,000 for the year (before tax). Going for placements further south near London would show an increase in your pay however it is balanced out with your living costs.
All home students are also eligible to apply for a student loan which covers your tuition cost for the year as well as a small maintenance loan. This may help you to sort out your finances and cover any additional costs that may incur during your transition to placement. Some companies have a relocation fee that will be reimbursed to you once you move to your placement location. Make sure to contact your liaison with the company to ask about this since it is not always provided.
One of the other challenges that students face when coming on placement is housing - finding a suitable house that is not crazy expensive is difficult, especially since your best bet is to stay with other students whom you probably don't know. We recommend getting the contact details of the other placement students by asking your company liaison as soon as you have received and confirmed your offer. We will be aiming to run some placement meet-ups within our university so you can meet people going to the same city in case you have not yet found a house etc.
Life as a Placement Student
Life as a Placement Student
Placement can be a daunting experience but 9 times out of 10 it is an eye-opening experience that makes you aware of the realities of working in industry. Check out some of our student experiences and the realistic perspectives of being on placement!
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