Where to look for a Placement

Tahira MajothiCareers consultantwww.careers.salford.ac.uk0161 295 5088

Aims

Better understand the value of placements

How placements can enhance your overall employability

Where to look for placements

Help from the Careers and Employability Service

What are internships and work placements?

http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice/general-advice/internships/

Why consider a placement?

Career options are not always as clear as a magic sorting hat!

How will you know which opportunity is right for you?

You will face challenges with the application process and in the role itself

These challenges will allow you to grow and develop employability skills for future success

The Bigger picture…

The Office for National Statistics report on graduate recruitment shows the vast increase in the size of the graduate population.

An increase of more than 430,000 graduates in the past 10 years from 1,063,000 in 2001 to 1,501,000 in 2011, which means a much more competitive jobs market for graduates than in the past.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/why-internships-and-placements-are-a-popular-route-to-employment-7579681.html

The latest High Fliers Research into the Graduate Market 2012 reveals that a third of this year's entry-level positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for the organisation during an internship or placement.

This is borne out by evidence from companies such as Centrica whose 10-week summer internship scheme for predominantly penultimate year students has grown from 11 places in 2006 to 75 in 2010.

Last year, Centrica filled 38% of their graduate intake from this internship pool. 

Graduates today face… A competitive jobs market

Job roles which may require a degree or higher level qualification +

Higher UCAS tariff points +

Evidence of personal and professional development i.e. extra curricular activities +

Demonstrable work experience or commercial awareness +

Greater emphasis on “personal branding or “brand you” i.e. self awareness of what you have to offer an employer in terms of :

(knowledge, experience and skills)

How will you stand

out from the crowd?

Benefits of work experience

http://www.slideshare.net/uolssds/finding-an-industrial-placement-2012

An employer’s perspective

“Placements can be invaluable to a student, for many it will be their first time in a work place, putting their academic skills into practice.

…a year placement helps to galvanize their learning and professional skills which will put them in good stead for their final year.”

Director at Cityzen and Architectural Technologist

The Small Print Placements may vary in length (3, 6 or 12 months)

They may contribute to your final degree award

Recruitment practices may differ

You are likely to receive a salary, this may vary depending on role responsibilities, size of the company and location

Visit the Careers and Employability website for advice

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/placements

Who’s in your ‘social’ network?Family / friends

Social Media / newspapers / jobs boards

Students’ Union, Student Societies or peers

Work colleagues

Employers – past and present

Lecturers / school

placement supportFreelance / agency contacts

Professional associations

Searching for Placements

Contacts from co-curricular

activities or voluntary work

Careers and Employability Service

Mentors

Sector Skills Councils

CV format for placements Contact details Profile (optional, brief but relevant to role) Education * Relevant Work Experience * Work Experience (inc. voluntary work) Skills / Achievements* Interests References

* = the order of sections will depend on the type of CV format you choose to use e.g. skills-based, chronological, functional etc.

MATCH! MATCH! MATCH! MATCH! MATCH! MATCH!

Help from the Careers and Employability Service

1:1 appointments with Careers consultants CV / application checks and Mock interviews Advice on psychometric tests and assessment centres Opportunities to meet employers Work experience opportunities via Advantage Help with time management and presentation skills via

Study Skills support Develop enterprise, problem-solving and leadership skills

with Enterprise activities

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/

Useful websites

Placements and Work Experience Guide: http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/careerguides

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/occupationsindex - occupational guides with links to employers

The Prospects website www.prospects.ac.uk/links/WorkExp includes the National Work Experience Bank of student work experience opportunities from full sandwich years to vacation work and work shadowing.

The Year In Industry www.yini.org.uk   work placement scheme from the Royal Academy of Engineering but also offers placements in business, including personnel, marketing, business planning and other non-technical fields.

The STEP programme www.step.org.uk places students in small and medium-sized companies and community organisations. Typical projects include preparing a marketing plan, market research, feasibility and risk assessment and e-commerce.

Fledglings www.fledglings.net  UK student resource for Industrial Placements and graduate careers

Rate My Placement www.ratemyplacement.co.uk allows you to view ratings of placements made by students who have had placements in particular organisations. You can also add your own ratings.

iHipo.com www.iHipo.com combination of social network and jobsite. Offers Young Professionals and Students hundreds of international job and internship offers from prestigious employers.

Student Employment Services www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk have a number of placements for students.

ASET www.asetonline.org A Good Practice guide for Placement and other Work-Based Learning Opportunities in Higher Education.

Student Job www.studentjob.co.uk helps students find the job they are looking whether that is during study, as a placement/internship, temporary - during a gap year or in summer.

The Student Ladder www.studentladder.co.uk summer internships for penultimate year students, work placements for first year students in Easter or summer of their first year, 12 month industrial placements.