Did you know that every year more than 150 LUMS undergraduates undertake an industrial placement – usually for the third year of a four-year degree?

One of the highlights of my time at LUMS has been working as a Science Communications and Social Media intern at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) during my placement.

I had a really varied role, working closely with colleagues in social media, digital content creation, press, internal communications and public engagement to ask the biggest questions in the universe to find answers that change the world around us.

Support from the beginning

The Placements Team at the Management School assisted me in getting a position at STFC. I learned about the company from their extensive database of placement providers.

They also helped me with my application. There was advice and tips for CV writing, interview preparation, and finding available opportunities. There’s even a Preparation for Placement taught module complemented by a series of carefully designed workshops and events throughout the second year.

Here are some resources that I found particularly helpful:

• The LUMS CV template
• Practice psychometric tests
• Information on Assessment Centres
• Helpful hints on interviews and interview technique
• Placement profiles

During my placement year, I had a few calls with members of the Placement Team to talk about how I was settling into my new role. They were always helpful and reassuring, addressing any concerns that I had.

At the beginning of my placement, I used to just get up, put on my clothes, go to work, come home and sleep. There is less of a routine at university, so being thrown back into a daily routine can be jarring. Someone on the Placements Team advised me to try to make sure that I had something to look forward to at least one night a week, such as going to the movies or making dinner plans, to help break up the week – and it worked!

Back to uni

Coming back from my placement year, the Careers team have been actively helping me adjust to university life again – through networking sessions with fellow students who undertook placement years, as well as graduate career-focused sessions.

Did you know that graduate outcomes for placement students are usually 5% better than the non-placement student cohort? Considering my industry experience acquired through my placement, I am now feeling confident in finding graduate opportunities.

Going on placement is a fantastic experience. I was able to put what I learned at university into practice and gain knowledge that I am confident I will use in the future. Honestly, I cannot recommend this enough!

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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.