This presentation is aimed at undergraduates students as a guide on the benefits of seeking a placement to compliment their studies as well as tips on where to look for placements.

1. Where to look
for a Placement
Tahira Majothi
Careers consultant
www.careers.salford.ac.uk
0161 295 5088

2. 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

3. What are internships and work
placements?
http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice/general-advice/internships/

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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)

9. How will you
stand
out from the
crowd?

10. Benefits of work experience
http://www.slideshare.net/uolssds/finding-an-industrial-placement-2012

12. 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

13. 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

14. Who’s in your ‘social’
network?
Employers – past
and present
Freelance / agency
contacts
Professional
associations
Searching for Placements
Careers and
Employability ServiceSector Skills
Councils

15. 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!

16. 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/

17. 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.