What did my Placement Year involve?

Over the course of my Placement Year, I worked for two companies. I started as an Environmental Operations Undergraduate at Bentley Motors before moving onto an Assessment Coordinator Internship with Pearson. While at Bentley Motors - a luxury car company headquartered in Crewe - I supported the Environment Team on projects & deliverables relating to legal and voluntary environmental compliance. This involved everything from coordinating utilities (e.g., energy and water), to supporting surveys and audits, and preparing training materials and internal communications.

Pearson is a multinational publishing & education company. I worked in the Assessment & Qualifications division and was based in Salford Quays. I worked as an Assessment Coordinator in the UK Maths, Business & Economics team. This involved coordinating the delivery of GCSE & A Level assessments for various qualifications, supporting Examiners & Customers, managing assessment content, and tracking marking progress for papers.

Why did I do a Placement Year?

When I was applying to universities, I knew that I wanted to focus on building my employability skills. I didn’t necessarily have a clear idea of what I wanted to do after I graduated, and so I decided completing a Placement would be a good opportunity to not only explore a role of interest, but to set a challenging goal for myself and step out of my comfort zone.

What have I gained from a Placement Year?

Learning by Doing

Reading job profiles or listening to someone talk about a career you’re interested in won’t give you the same level of understanding as working in that position. You might learn it’s not what you expected - and that’s not always a bad thing! For example, I was really surprised to find that I enjoyed the consulting and client-facing aspect of environmental work just as much (if not more than) I enjoyed the back-office, technical aspects; I soon learned I would be better suited to a Consultancy role than an Engineering role.

Cultural Fit & Career Motivators

More importantly, I learned what I value in a job and in an employer. I realised it was important for me to be able to connect with my employer’s values & objectives, as well as their client base. Put simply, I needed to believe in the work I was doing. Pearson is a people-focused environment, and the objectives and values of the company were better-suited to me.

Refining Your Job Search

Completing a Placement can also help you refine your search for Graduate roles. Pre-placement, I wasn’t prioritising factors like cultural fit. Having completed a placement, my approach to applications and interviews drastically changed, and I’ve made sure to spend time researching things like company values, employee reviews, and the company’s strategies and projects. Had I not had the opportunity to learn from my Placement experience, I may have ended up in an organisation that wasn’t a good fit culturally.

Skill Development

A Placement Year isn’t just an opportunity to gain new skills – it’s a chance to apply your existing skills and knowledge. It’s a great way to consolidate your learning and gain hands-on experience! For example, at Bentley, I was using interpersonal skills to engage with contractors, consultants, and colleagues; at Pearson, I relied on my customer service experience to support Examiners and Candidates.

You’ll also likely develop sector-specific skills. My Environmental Operations placement allowed me to develop an in-depth understanding of environmental compliance and legislation. It’s extremely advantageous for me to have experience implementing key standards and frameworks as someone looking to go into Environmental Consultancy.

Resilience and Independence

Completing a Placement Year isn’t straightforward. You’ll likely encounter different personalities, manage conflicting perspectives, and adapt to challenging circumstances. After experiencing difficulties on my original placement, I decided to search for alternative employment and secured a new position partway through my Placement Year. I balanced applications and interviews with full-time work, working independently to find a suitable offer and persisting despite numerous rejections. I couldn’t have predicted this challenge, and I was understandably disappointed that my placement experience hadn’t met my expectations. But this experience allowed me to develop additional skills, such as self-motivation, resilience, and assertiveness. My experience encouraged me to think independently, demonstrate initiative, and make the most of a difficult situation. Had I not taken the more challenging route and acted in my best interests, I wouldn’t have grown or learned as much as I have. I gained clarity on my career goals and what I value, putting me in a stronger position in my search for Graduate roles.

Top Tips

Research is a huge part of the Placement process. Much of your time will be spent searching for roles, researching employers, putting together applications, and preparing for interviews and assessments. It can be daunting and time-consuming, but there are a few things you can do to make life easier:

1. Ask the Careers Team if any Lancaster students have worked for the company – they may be able to provide some feedback they’ve received from previous placement students, or potentially put you in touch with them!
2. Use platforms such as Glassdoor and Indeed to research employee reviews – while these should be taken with a pinch of salt, it can help you gain a sense of people’s experiences working for a prospective employer.
3. Connecting with current employees with LinkedIn – especially Lancaster alumni - is another great way to get a head-start on your application, get a feel for the organisation, and start building a network.
4. In the interview, asking questions to gauge whether you would be a good cultural fit for the company and the team. For example, asking interviewers what their favourite aspect of working at the company is will give you a more authentic and personal perspective, something you can’t always get from a website.

Doing this will save you trouble in the long run, but it’ll also show during your interview if you’ve done your research.

Would I recommend a Placement Year?

Absolutely! It’s a great opportunity to get out in the working world and prepare yourself for life beyond university. After completing a Placement, I have a much better idea of what I’m looking for in an employer and what I want to gain out of my graduate career. Your Placement Year is exactly what you make of it, and it’s all about your personal & professional development, so you should take every opportunity to explore what interests you and seek out new challenges

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Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.