It’s easy to compare yourself with your friends, who may have landed a placement within the first few months of applying. But for others, they may be on their 100th application. That’s okay. If you fall into one of these categories, this is for you.

There are hundreds of other opportunities out there just for you, whether it feels like it right now or not. You just need to do a little bit of digging – but that’s where we come in. 

Let’s get into it

• Reach out to your university
• Look for alternatives
• Upskilling yourself in other ways
• Focus on your studies

Reach out to your university

If you didn’t manage to secure a placement year, your first point of call is your university.

If your university course has a compulsory placement year, there should be support there to help you every step of the way, whether that’s looking at other options or other ways of helping out.

They may look to see if there are any campus-based opportunities or projects you can take on as part of your placement year.

You’ll still gain the necessary experience you need to snap up a role after graduation.

Don’t assume that your university won’t help you, all university career departments should be, all hands on deck when these unexpected situations happen.

It’s hard not to get wrapped up in emotions application season. Let’s talk.

Look for alternatives

Finding a placement is HARD (speaking from experience). According to the Institute of Student Employers, there are around 91 applicants per role, so it’s super competitive.

If you do miss out, think about the things you were going to gain through doing a placement year and how you can achieve them without doing one.

Ask yourself these questions: 

• Did you have any goals you would’ve liked to set yourself? 
• Was there a certain skill you wanted to learn?
• Did you want to get over your fear of presenting in front of people?
• Was there an area of the business that you were excited about learning about?

Your main goal should of course to be enhance your employability with relevant industry knowledge and real-life work experience. 

So, what can you do to gain this without a placement year? Read on to find out.

Upskilling yourself in other ways

Not doing a placement year isn’t the end of the world, but you’ll need to find ways to stand out above the rest.

Here are some other ways you can gain the skills and industry knowledge without having to do a placement.

These are all great ways to make sure you’re getting the experience you need. You need to make sure you are doing things that other candidates aren’t necessarily doing.

This way you’ll have;

• more experiences and skills to add to your CV
• more to discuss in your interview
• more of a chance to impress your employer.

Go and take control of your career progression, because it’s only you that can make it happen.

Depending on what time you’re reading this, it’s potentially not too late to apply for a placement either. Most of our roles go live between September and February. Check out what’s still available.

Focus on your studies

If your placement isn’t compulsory, you may just have to return to university to complete your final year. Which isn’t a bad thing at all.

With no placement disrupting your university mindset, you can focus on being an academic weapon and spend more time on your readings, essays, coursework, exam prep and of course your big dissertation.

Try and bridge the experience gap by doing as well as you can.

REMINDER

Focus on applying for graduate roles right away. Many students don’t realise that they start to open in early September. Here are some examples of transferable skills that you’ll need to include in your application.

So you’ve now found out about the available opportunities. What are your next steps? Whether that’s looking into insight schemes or reaching out to do some volunteer work, we want you to know.

Not finding a placement is only a small bump in the road, it’s not something you massively need to worry over, either. Just do your best, as that’s all that anyone can ask for.

Remember things happen for a reason, there may be your dream grad role still waiting for you after your final year.

Good Luck!

The post What Happens If I Don’t Get A Placement? appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

A good mentor can provide advice, guidance and clarity at any stage of your career or life, whether you’re stuck on an assignment you just can’t get your head around or you’re an intern whose just taken your first step into the corporate world. 

But finding one is another story. So, where do you even begin? Before you just go and ask anyone to set up a random weekly call to chat about everything and anything, let’s look at what mentorship is, the benefits and how you can find one yourself.

• What is mentorship?
• Why it can be important for your career
• How to find a mentor
• Setting goals and expectations
• What do students say about their mentors

What is mentorship?

A mentorship is where a mentor, helps to support an individual with either personal or professional growth. Essentially, someone you can go to for advice, feedback and a general chit-chat about work.

You might already be familiar with mentoring already and have had some sort of mentoring whether with a lecturer or even your classmates or students in the years above you.

There are many different types of mentorships, let’s take a look at a few:

Group mentoring

A mentor works with multiple mentees in a group, meeting regularly to discuss relevant topics.

Peer mentoring

Working with someone of the same level to offer feedback, assess one another or even grading each other in certain assignments. 

Reverse mentoring

A two-way relationship where both the mentee and mentor benefit. It can help people gain confidence, try new experiences, and broaden their ideas.

Traditional mentoring

A more experienced mentor provides ongoing advice to a mentee, including guidance on career decisions and challenges.

So now you know what mentorship is, how will it help you? Let’s get into it.

Thinking about applying for placements in September? Here are:

Why it can be important for your career

Having a mentor can positively impact your career development, in more ways than you may think.

You want to make sure you’re taking full advantage of your placement year. Whether that’s learning loads, networking and setting yourself goals that you can achieve throughout your journey. A mentor will help with that.

General Support and Guidance 

Starting your placement is a DAUNTING experience, imposter syndrome is in full swing and you’re constantly doubting yourself in all facets.

Having a mentor for these exact reasons alone should convince you to look into finding one. 

A great mentor will:

• Provide a different perspective when you are being your biggest self-critic
• Motivate you to ask any enquiries you may have
• Push you to shout about new ideas
• Encourage you to be your passionate self. 

Think of a mentor as your personal agony aunt. Having this confidence to push yourself out of your comfort zone will not only leave you with more chances to get involved in so many key business projects but even more experiences and opportunities to talk about, in your coursework, in interviews and to put on your CV!

How to find a mentor

Firstly, think about whether you actually need a mentor. There are plenty of ways to decide this. You should always consider what you want from your work experience. Ask yourself some of the following questions…

• Are you someone who can flourish on your own or would you prefer a little guidance?
• Do you have the means to actively find out about other parts of the business, without a mentor?
• Are you going to learn something new?
• Do you think you’ll need advice during your work experience?

It may be a good idea to speak with your manager and see if they have anyone in mind who would be good to mentor you. You may find that some of your colleagues did a placement year themselves which is a really good starting point when deciding who to ask.

What to look for in a mentor and how to reach out

Explore possible mentors, a way to do this is to always have it in the back of your mind when meeting new people that you work with, will you be able to learn from them? Is there specific knowledge I can gain from talking with them?

Ask someone you also think you’ll get along with. We 100% don’t want awkward meetings or your mentoring sessions being something you dread. So our advice is to base it on friendships or positive connections you’ve made within the company. But equally don’t choose someone you talk to every day.

Reaching out is the easy part! The worst that could happen is they’ll say no, BUT at least you tried.

Don’t forget, they’ll only ever say no if they feel as though they don’t have the time – it’s not you, it’s them.

Setting goals and expectations

You may be thinking, what can I expect from a mentor if I get one? Setting goals is a great way to start mentorship meetings, these goals could be around:

• What would you like to get out of your placement or internship?
• Are there certain metrics you’d like to hit in the year?
• Is there a fear you want to get over? For example, public speaking

You can then treat these meetings as catch-ups on where you are at with your goals, and if there’s anything your mentor can do to ensure they are achievable. 

Make sure that these goals fit the SMART Objectives format for the best chance of success. Discussing them with your mentor will not only allow you to set the right goals for you but will also hold you accountable.

Here’s what SMART Objectives stands for: 

S – Specific 

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Relevant

T – Time Based

TOP TIP
Make sure to write these goals down, so that when it comes to writing your university coursework or updating your CV you can remember what you’ve achieved throughout your work experience.

Counting down the days to move back to university? Attending freshers and careers fairs might be the last thing on your mind. But here’s Why You Should Go to A Careers Fair

What do students say about their mentors?

“Having a mentor has been a game changer. It’s great for someone like me who has a million questions that may sound “too stupid” to ask in meetings. I’ve asked my mentor just about everything from how a certain software works to what to wear to the work party.

They’re fantastic for getting to grips with the company culture, how things operate, and who does what. Especially if you’re on a placement year, their pot of experience is going to be so much fuller than yours and you’ll end up learning things 10x faster!“

Rhea, RateMyPlacement Campaigns Placement Student

“Getting a mentor is so much easier than I thought it would be, literally asked him and he agreed. It’s so useful to have someone outside of your direct working circle to address any struggles or celebrate successes as they act like a third body.

I would definitely recommend getting one as you can learn about things you wouldn’t necessarily have otherwise if they are in a different team. And most importantly, it’s just nice to have someone else to rely on and ask those silly questions you don’t feel you can ask anyone else.”

Lucy, RateMyPlacement Marketing Placement Student

There are 1001 bits to tick off your list when it comes to preparing for work experience, make sure that finding a mentor is one of your top priorities – it’ll make your experience extra special. 

Good luck!

The post What Is A Mentor And How To Find One appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

Firstly, breathe and remember why you applied for a placement (and beat 100s of other students) in the first place…to gain top-tier work experience.

While you may feel as though your first week will be super daunting, we’ve expertly picked five things you should do, to make sure you thrive. Read on to find out more. 

• Don’t stress
• Reach out to previous placement students
• Meet as many people as possible 
• Find your way
• Ask questions! 

Don’t stress 

Your first week will be about inductions, training and settling in. You won’t be expected to come in all guns blazing, with wild ideas on how you could change the business. You’ll simply just be expected to arrive, be yourself and be eager to learn everything you can. 

I know. I know. It’s easy to overthink, especially when it comes to totally new experiences like your first interview, moving out for the first time or stepping into the corporate world for your placement year or grad role. 

Of course, you’re going to be nervous, and believe you and me so was I. It’s just the not-so-little things like work experience that we need to push ourselves to personally and professionally grow!

You’ve got this.

Feeling nervous about starting work experience? Give this a read:

Reaching out to previous placement students

Whether it’s the previous placement student at the company you’re about to start with or one from another company, drop them a message on LinkedIn for some last-minute advice!

The worst that will happen is that you won’t receive a reply, but in most cases, past and present placement students will be super up for giving out advice and tips for your first week.

Your message could go something like this:

If you can’t find the previous placement student from your company, I would always recommend finding someone who went to your university, it always makes it easier to connect with someone who already has something in common with you.

Meet as many people as possible 

Especially during the first few weeks/months of your placement, get involved in as many key projects, meetings and socials as possible. I said to myself, especially when working from home a lot, to try to message someone new every day, whether that’s to say hi, ask about an issue you’re having or reach out to find out more about a certain aspect of the business. 

When in the office, introduce yourself to people and start new conversations. Throughout the year, I’ve found that the more people you meet and interact with, the more opportunities you’ll have coming your way, within different departments too!

Obviously, say yes to as many of these opportunities as possible, but also know that you are totally okay to push a deadline back if you find that your workload is too busy, or even say no.

REMINDER: 

Throughout these meetings or social events keep in mind who you would want to mentor you!

Having a mentor during your placement can be a key highlight of your year. This will be someone who can guide you, encourage new ideas and act as a place to discuss any concerns or queries you may have. It’s totally worth it.

Not doing a placement year, but hoping to do a summer internship? 

Find your way

Take every opportunity that comes your way, but also don’t be afraid to create opportunities for yourself. 

You could do this by:

• Asking to sit in or shadow in certain meetings
• Setting up calls with people you want to learn more from
• Expressing your interest in wanting to develop new skills such as presenting 
• Setting goals outside of your normal day-to-day responsibilities to push for more varied work
• Reaching out to different departments to acknowledge that you are happy to support new projects.

This is your year, make the most of learning from industry professionals.

When researching placements, I also looked at days in the life to get a grasp as to what my day could look like, check out mine here!

Ask questions! 

Asking questions is the only way you’ll learn and overcome certain tasks and projects. I think as placement students especially we step into our year of work hoping we’ll just know and pick up on how to do everything straight away.

Of course, this isn’t the case. You will have to get people to go over what they mean by “ROI” or “USP”, which is how they’ll learn to know what you’ll need more support on and how you’ll actively learn what you’d like to learn more about!

Asking these questions will show enthusiasm and your passion for the role, so ask away!

We hope you are feeling a little bit more relaxed about the thought of starting your placement or internship.

Just remember who you are, what you’ve already achieved and that the employers want YOU.

Good Luck!

The post Your Guide to Thriving in the First Week of Your Placement appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

8:30

The first thing I like to do is to plan out my day, this usually means blocking out time in my calendar around meetings to focus on specific tasks I’ve been given. This is so that I know what my day looks like and others can check if I’m busy. 

8:40

Email admin! I’ll have a quick look over my emails, and reply to any urgent ones. At the moment I’m gathering all of the event details for the careers fairs we’ll be attending in october!

9:00

While it’s still early in the day, I’ll always block out some time to check over the social calendars to see if I need to make any content ready to post later in the day.

10:00

Social meeting – the social executive and I go through our plans for the next week and fill out the content calendars with whatever is relevant to our target audience at the time. Such as key trends, day in the lives and advice that we think students will need.

@ratemyplacement I’m currently in the last 2 months of my placement year and the realisation that i’ll be going back to uni soon and that i’ll literally have about 2 friends is something that i’m struggling with So wish me luck… Has anyone else been feeling the same? #mentalhealthawareness #university #placement #dayinthelife #placementyear #students #mentalhealthawarenessweek ♬ Lisztomania – Phoenix

11:00

Typically, during this time I’ll be moderating our reviews. We host over 100,000+ reviews across both websites, so you can imagine how many we get through. 

When in the office, we also like to set out a lot of time to film multiple bits of content, such as trends, interviews and office content. This part of the day is super fun, as we get multiple people involved to come on camera and share some advice!

12:30

Made it to lunch, thank God! A bunch of us will go out and get something to bring back to the office. Usually a Sainos or Pret if funds are looking healthy. 

13:30

On the home stretch… In the afternoon I usually get on with getting some writing done, I’ve just finished writing my ‘5 things I’ve learnt while on placement’ blog so go check it out after this if you haven’t already.

A placement is a great way to learn all about the working world and build your skills. Read all about everything I picked up during mine.

If I’m not writing a blog, I’ll be planning out some more content here, maybe finding some user generated content (UGC) to use on our socials. 

15:00

3pm… SNACK TIME, is it just me that hits an instant slump as soon as 3pm rolls round? 

15:30

For the last few hours of the day, I use this time to research, write and edit a presentation that I had coming up for RateMyApprenticeship.

Then double check my emails, before shutting my laptop!

17:30

Day is done – time for the commute home.

The post A Day in the Life of A Marketing Placement Student appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

• You won’t get left in the dark
• Everyone gets imposter syndrome 
• Don’t be afraid to say no 
• Work-life balance 
• Commuting really isn’t bad

You won’t get left in the dark

Every company will be different when it comes to the handover. If you are fortunate enough to have the past placement student there to teach you everything you need to know, ask as many questions as humanly possible. 

It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed, but with the support of your manager and your other colleagues, you’ll make it through, because in no time you’ll become an expert.  

Here are 5 things to do within your first month: 

• Set up meetings with different people within the business, find out everything you possibly can! 
• If your job involves metrics (like mine), write down all the figures at the start to track your progression, such as the number of followers for example
• Try to be in the office as much as you can – this is the only way to get to know those around you 
• Ask questions and seek feedback – your placement is not only about doing your job but improving within it too
• Set yourself clear goals for what you expect to achieve within the first 6 months.

Everyone gets imposter syndrome 

As an extremely (what I thought) outgoing person, I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be writing this. However, this has been and still is a huge part of my placement. 

Especially when coming forward with ideas, or even talking in the weekly company-wide meeting. It can be DAUNTING talking in front of people who have lived and breathed the company and industry for years. It’s been a struggle, like when your lecturer asks a question you 200% know the answer to but won’t put your hand up because you think you might say the wrong answer…

You just need to take yourself out of your comfort zone. You have a unique point of view and people want to hear that. Believe in yourself, and remember, imposter syndrome bites everyone. Even senior colleagues.

Having a mentor for these exact reasons really helps, as you can share your thoughts and queries and they’ll go ahead and encourage you to share them.

Along with having a mentor, getting to know your colleagues is also so important on your placement journey. Never have the thought, ‘well why would they want to speak to the placement student’, everyone, I repeat everyone wants to see you thrive, so reach out, ask questions and get those connections on LinkedIn!! 

Don’t be afraid to say no 

When you start your placement, you’ll have to juggle many different tasks and responsibilities to complete each week. Before starting my placement, I thought I would feel the pressure of taking on as many things as possible, yet I’ve now learned that people appreciate you have a lot on your plate, so they’ll always ask what your capacity is like before setting more work.

Getting a diary together and making to-do lists is key to staying on top of tasks and prioritising future work. Plan out your days, and don’t be afraid to block out time in your calendar so people know you are busy.

Work-life balance 

This is a HUGE one for ensuring you have the best possible placement year. I thought it would look bad on the placement student for taking time out and not constantly working. But as it turns out, it’s the complete opposite. Your employer wants you to enjoy your year. 

Taking time out to maintain a healthy lifestyle is important for your wellbeing and will ensure maximum success in your role. You need to make sure you don’t burn out, so whether you have an extended lunch break to go to the gym or take an early finish on a Friday to start your weekend off right. If it helps you feel better, it has our vote.

Commuting really isn’t bad

If you’re like me, you may be slightly stressed about your living situation during your placement. I chose to live outside of London and commute like the money-savvy responsible adult I am. 

I wish I could tell my past self that it really isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, yes of course it means I work from home more. However, with our flexible working policy, this worked in my favour. 

Being able to network and be social with my team was also a huge concern when making this decision, as getting involved as much as possible with your company culture while on placement year is vital. This has been easy as there are so many pre-organised socials to get involved in!

Stressed about how you are going to save AND afford accommodation while on placement?

So that’s a wrap, if you are preparing for your placement, let me tell you one thing, you’ll love it! I haven’t regretted a single moment of my year. 

Or if you are thinking about doing a placement, we now have Register Your Interest roles live RIGHT NOW from companies such as The Walt Disney Company, UBS and L’Oréal!

The post 5 Things I’ve Learned on my Placement Year appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

Well, here we are? Last month I assessed eight people for the job. What were my key takeaways you ask?

Here are six things I picked up on that you should try doing at your assessment centre!

• Be in the moment
• Be confident and authentic
• Read the brief thoroughly
• Don’t go on a tangent
• Stand out!
• Show excitement

Be in the moment

Forget about your phone! 

The best thing you can do on the day is make the most out of the process. Make conversation with as many people as possible. Doing this will…

1. Settle your nerves 
2. Allow you to get to know the people you could potentially be working for in the future!

Even while you’re waiting for your interview or presentation, your interviewers will still be looking at how you can communicate with others – so be sociable and make friends with your fellow candidates!

We know what you’re thinking, that would totally be out of your comfort zone but don’t worry we have some tips for you!

Be confident and authentic 

We know, we’ve all been there, out of your comfort zone and instantly forgetting everything you’ve prepared. Believe it or not, nerves are actually good. 

Don’t let them stop you from being your best self. 

The reality is that employers aren’t going to expect you to have a ton of work experience or even be uber confident in your interviews.

For many students, this will be one of their very first formal interviews, so don’t stress you are not the only one

Hear from some of RateMyPlacement’s finest as they give you tips on how to prep yourself the day before an assessment centre. (Very cool jacket is not included, sorry!)

Read the brief thoroughly 

Yes, this is an obvious one… most assessment centres require you to come prepared with a presentation about a certain topic!

This could be a marketing brief or a sales pitch for example. Where you’ll be given around 2 weeks to come up with as many well rounded ideas as possible and make a slide deck to go with them.

Read the brief carefully so that you hit every point perfectly. This is your chance to show the employer what you can do without the pressure of being observed while preparing it. 

This is an important one to get right as it sets a first impression for your work ethic and ability to listen to instructions. So if it states to email the presentation 24 hours before the assessment centre… do it!

Don’t just take it from us take it from past placement students as well:

“Ask questions that you are curious about to show your interest and include information from the job application”

Accounting Intern at Enterprise Mobility

“Do not be afraid to be yourself and demonstrate that you are willing to work hard, be creative and think outside the box”

Associate Placement at Wiser

Prepping for an assessment centre soon? Read our Top Tips to placement interviews and assessment centres

Don’t go on a tangent 

The job description is like a little sweet treat for your career journey… they provide little clues as to what the ideal candidate looks like to the employer. 

During an interview, the employer will be looking out for key skills that have been clearly stated in the job description, make sure you look over this before your assessment centre and use the STAR technique to avoid rambling! 

These skills may include: 

• Communication skills 
• Problem solving 
• Team work 
• Time management 

Are you thinking, I totally have all of these skills? Make sure to include these within your interview answers along with EVIDENCE of when you’ve shown them. Such as your teamwork and communication skills you used on the BUSIEST hospitality shift of your life, anything you’ve completed or achieved will have shown you doing multiple skills, don’t overcomplicate it.

It’s also important during your interview to be completely honest, even down to not understanding the question for example.

 “Never EVER lie. Don’t even embellish. If you lack some skills, highlight these as points you seek to improve. You will have plenty of other positive skills that will show an employer your potential”

Hear from Industry experts

It’s so important to be transparent during the application process for the best chances of success in your new role!

Feeling a bit lost in your application journey? Don’t worry you aren’t alone. For some relatable reassurance read A Placement Student’s Experience of The Application Process.

Stand out!

If your assessment centre presentation brief was like the one we sent out, it will include key actions you can do to really impress us! So why wouldn’t you take that advice? 

Think outside the box, what can you include into your presentation that other candidates won’t have thought of?

Here’s a few examples of how you can stand out in your presentation!

• Conducting your own research through surveys to back up your points (I did this one)
• Printing assets to hand out – such as flyers or posts (dependant on brief)
• Going the extra mile to make the presentation fit the branding
• Making the presentation super interactive for the audience.

If you’re still stuck, reach out to lecturers, university professors or ask previous placement students for more insight.

Show excitement

We want to see enthusiasm! 

For any role this is crucial, but this rings a little bit louder when applying for an internship or placement. Your passion and excitement for the role needs to make up for your lack of experience.

Employers will generally be looking for someone who can work well in a team, bring new ideas forward and is eager to learn everything about their new role.

If you don’t show your excitement and enthusiasm, it may affect your chances of getting a job offer.

So make sure you fully prepare to give yourself the best chance of success and to show who you really are instead of stressing about what you are going to say.

Still applying for placements, but wondering what your day could potentially look like, read our A Day in the Life of a Marketing Placement Student for more insight!

I know it’s easier said than done, but you are gonna SMASH IT and even if you don’t get it the first time, the experience and feedback will be invaluable to you for your next try! 

Just relax, take a breath and be your best self.

Good luck!

The post On the Other Side of an Assessment Centre appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

Our team travelled thousands of miles meeting students like you at Freshers Fairs and Careers Fairs all over the country. Plus, we also branched out online with a digital campaign to reach as many of you as possible.

A whopping 20,000 university students entered the giveaway, and we are so pleased to announce a handful of our lovely winners and share what they will be spending their money on…

Gianni Austin – Imperial  College London

“I can’t express how grateful I am that I have been chosen as a winner.  This is so helpful though as living in London is extremely expensive and my savings account is struggling. This helps me get one step further toward my savings goals; thank you so much RateMyPlacement!”

Freya Barlow – University of Birmingham

“I can’t believe I won, I’m definitely going to book a holiday with it somewhere in Europe, maybe to Scandinavia! Thank you so much :)”

Matthew Brown – University of Bath

“I am planning on spending this money on upcoming athletics trips around the country and buying some new spikes!”

Sam Dickenson – University of Sheffield

“I’m looking forward to putting the money towards a new laptop for uni and the rest towards traveling in future”

Briony Kilford – University of Hertfordshire

“I’ll probably end up spending the money to go to Croatia in the summer!”

Thank you so much to everyone who entered our giveaway and congrats to our winners!

Subscribe to our student newsletter and follow our social media accounts to hear about more of our amazing competitions (spoiler alert: we run them very regularly).

The post The £10K Giveaway: Meet some of our Winners appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

I’m Grace, a marketing placement student at RateMyPlacement, and I’m here to tell you it’s okay! While it’s daunting at first, stepping outside your comfort zone is probably one of the most important skills you’ll use in your career.

Take me for example. My goal is to say YES to as many opportunities as possible, and with three presentations down, I’m quickly becoming an expert… who even am I?! 

Here are three tips to consider, during your placement or wherever you are in life so that you can thrive outside your comfort zone.

• Embrace the discomfort 
• Acknowledging your fears & Setting clear goals 
• Reward yourself

Embrace The Discomfort

If you’re on the search for your placement year, this is good news. Why? This is probably the first time you’ve looked for a full-time job. So you’ve already taken a huge step.

What situations do you think you’ll find uncomfortable?

• Presentations
• Interviews 
• Meeting new colleagues
• Going to career/jobs fairs
• Or simply, having to say ‘hi’ in a company-wide meeting.

Realistically, no one is going to expect you to be amazing at interviews or presenting for example, especially if it’s the first time you’ve ever had to do them. It’s easy to look at a job rejection as a knockback, try to embrace these moments as opportunities for growth. In fact, employers WANT you to grow.

For my first ever formal interview, when I began my placement journey, I was super nervous and didn’t get the job. But I was lucky to get feedback from the employer. They were BLOWN away at my confidence even after admitting how nervous I was and that it was my first interview.

So fake the confidence, but also remember to BE YOURSELF.

Another important point to remember is that preparation is everything. Here are some ways to prepare for an assessment centre:

• Memorising a script to present
• Getting your housemate to run through the most common interview questions
• Researching the company 
• Looking up your interviewers on LinkedIn 
• Make sure you know how to get to their offices… on time.

Looking for more ways to prepare for an interview, we’ve got you. Click below.

Acknowledging Your Fears & Setting Clear Goals

This is probably one of the most important tips. Why are you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, what will you get out of it? Well other than the cocktail waiting for you on the other side… 

During any type of work experience, like a placement, internship or insight scheme, you need to set clear goals to achieve by the end of the experience.

Asking yourself these questions to help you set your goals:

• Are you looking to develop and pick up new skills?
• How am I going to measure progress?
• What are my values and passions?
• What potential obstacles or challenges might I encounter?
• Are my goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART)? 

Whatever your goals are, write them down and look to achieve them. This will ultimately provide direction, motivation and a framework for your professional development.

If your job offers one-to-ones with your manager, discuss these goals with them. They’d love to see you take initiative and will admire your drive.

I’ve found it really helpful having a mentor, especially as mine was a placement student within the company 8 years ago! My Mentor can suggest new ways of making the most of my year, while also giving personalised advice based on his own experiences.

Before even starting university I set myself the goal that I wanted to complete a placement year to set myself apart from other students, boost my employability and create experiences to add to my CV and LinkedIn.

Here are some other things you can do NOW to make sure you are always at the top of any employer’s candidate lists.

Reward Yourself

Whether it be a friends night in, watching Gossip Girl, a cheeky 2-4-1 cocktail along with a spoons cocktail pitcher, or buying the shoes you’ve been eyeing up for a while now (what’s the student loan actually for if you can’t spend it)… We must take time to reflect and reward ourselves after doing something out of our comfort zone.

Acknowledging a victory and allowing ourselves to feel proud of our achievements make it all worthwhile.

Do this and I swear, you’ll become a lot more confident, employable and less of a mess when it comes to stepping out of your comfort zone. It might be overwhelming at first but once you’ve done it a few times, it’ll get easier and easier.

Your placement year is the perfect opportunity to say YES. No one expects Oscar-winning performances, just be and become the best, most confident you.  

So what are you waiting for?

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