Our students explain how taking a work placement has boosted their career prospects.
Matthew Day
Business Management with Finance BSc(Hons)
Placement: Financial Planning Intern at Nike
I was fortunate enough to get my foot in the door at Nike and have not looked back since. After a successful placement year, they offered me a permanent role after I graduated.
Nike's a pretty unique place. Being based at the Europe Head Office you get to see a lot of the business as you're dealing with many different countries, cultures and languages. You are exposed to real international business issues and you have the opportunity to meet the senior leaders who make the big decisions on the direction Nike should go in the marketplace. The people you meet here are so diverse, not just culturally but experience levels too so you can really learn a lot about your career path.
Not only does the placement year give you really good technical experience, the exposure to people within the business and the chance to network was one that I really took and it paid off as it definitely helped me to get back in the company.
I've been here over a year and I'm still really enjoying it!
Catherine Stewart
Accounting and Finance BSc(Hons)
Placement: Accounts Assistant at LMDB Accountants
The placement will definitely benefit my future career as it has enabled me to develop so many practical skills that can be combined with the theoretical knowledge gained during my degree.
It has also enabled me to gain confidence and a strong sense of responsibility, with a necessity to act maturely and logically, preparing me for when I graduate.
I would fully recommend that students complete a placement year as part of their course. Although it delays completion of the degree by a year, it is definitely worth it in the long term. Having a year's work experience on your CV differentiates you from all the other graduates and could make so much difference in your future career.
Charlotte Howard-Leech
Business Studies with Marketing BSc(Hons)
Placement: Marketing and Events Intern at Intel
Having work experience at an organisation such as Intel which has a reputation as a successful multinational company will make me stand out from other candidates.
I have gained a substantial amount of experience. I have participated in many team and individual projects, taken on lots of responsibility and learnt to be accountable for all my actions.
I would advise all students to try their hardest to find a placement.
Mainza Sikabanga
Business Studies with Finance BSc(Hons)
Placement: Analyst at Goldman Sachs
My work placement is a huge stepping-stone because it is directly related to what I want to do, thus giving me a profound insight into what to expect once I embark on my career.
Having a year's work experience will put me at an advantage when I start applying for a graduate job as employers, now more than ever, want to recruit candidates with some work experience in addition to having a good degree.
My advice to a student thinking about taking a work placement is very simple; just do it! There is a lot to gain and nothing to lose.
The placement, regardless of the industry, will prepare you for both professional and personal excellence.
Mir Baloch
Business Management with Marketing BSc(Hons)
Placement: Marketing Intern at Microsoft UK
My work placement at Microsoft UK really boosted my confidence. I can use examples that I've done in my job to demonstrate my abilities and skills, and I think that just gives you an inherent confidence and you are much more relaxed compared to other students who don't have the experience.
I think having a company like Microsoft on your CV is great, but just having a placement year is very important. Employers are obviously going to be drawn to the applicants who have work placements because they've got experience.
The placements office at Brighton were really helpful. They do the hard work for you in terms of finding placements, closing dates, entry requirements. They do all the hard work and you just go onto the website or to see the notices outside their office.
The biggest piece of advice that I'd give to students who were looking for work placements is just keep trying, keep applying, you'll get rejected but don't take that personally, keep applying and you will get one.
