Adulthood comes at you hard and fast. One minute you’re dreaming of what you want to be when you’re older and suddenly the decision, along with where you’re going to relocate to become it, is imminent.

With the UCAS deadline around the corner, we’re here to help you decide which university you should choose, and why. We’d like to introduce to you (drum roll please)… our Best Universities table updated for 2024.

To consider all angles, we looked at the Times Top 100 Universities and ranked them according to the following factors: 

• Times Higher Education ranking
• Student satisfaction
• Graduate prospects
• Average weekly accommodation costs 
• Cost of an ‘inexpensive’ meal
• Cost of a pint (domestic beer)
• Cost of a one-way ticket on local transport
• Cost of a monthly fitness membership
• The total number of nightclubs

We’ve created a detailed index for 2024 covering all of these. So, whether you’re looking for the best place to study or the university with the cheapest pint – we’ve got you covered.

The best UK universities overall

The top 10 universities overall covered a lot of ground. Overall, St Andrews University in Scotland is the best UK university for the second year running, scoring full marks across the board and the best for student satisfaction. This was followed by the University of Sheffield and the University of Bath who both moved their way up into the top three from 2023.

The best UK university for graduate prospects

The area you choose to study in can also have an impact on your post-university career and it’s useful to think of the next steps open to you – especially if you’ve already relocated to University you may want to find a graduate job in your new stix. 

This year, Imperial College London knocked St George’s University off the top spot with the highest graduate prospects in the UK (94.2). The University of Cambridge (93.1) also beat last years’ winners St George’s University of London who moved into third place (92.4).

The best UK universities with the cheapest accommodation

If only studying was the single factor for choosing a university. Unfortunately, the reality of it is that budgeting, finance and cost of living have to be taken into account when choosing the right university for you.

To make things easier, we’ve extracted the top 10 cheapest universities based on their accommodation costs.

As shown above, Staffordshire University, in Stoke-on-Trent, has the most affordable accommodation – costing an average of £80 per week. This is followed by the University of Huddersfield (at £81 per week) and Teesside University (at £88 per week). 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, our top two most expensive accommodations were based in London. LSE was the most expensive at £261 per week, followed by the University of Greenwich (£238 per week) – and then Edinburgh at £222 per week.

The best UK universities for the most affordable lifestyle

What about beyond campus life? Fear not, we know the nightlife, the wind-down opportunities and the local costs also come into play when it comes to opting for the next step in your higher education.

For fitness-minded students, Stirling is still the most affordable monthly fitness membership at £16.99 per month – followed by the University of Portsmouth at £22.60 and the University of Central Lancashire at £23.40. The index also shows that the average cost for students wanting to keep fit has seen an increase since 2023 of £2.32 a month.

Warwick has the most expensive local transport, with the price of a one-way ticket standing at £7 – followed by Durham (£5), and Lincoln (£4.75). The most affordable was the University of Stirling at £1.40 – followed by our two Surrey universities (University for the Creative Arts and University of Surrey) at £1.50. 

Whether you’re financially driven, career-prospecting or simply looking for the best place to be educated, our index should help make your decision ahead of the UCAS application deadline a little bit easier.

The help doesn’t stop there, once you’ve made your decision take a look at our 1st Year Checklist to ensure you’re well-prepared for your next adventure.

The post The Best Universities in the UK appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

“Do you consider yourself to have a disability?“

You don’t know why the employer is asking you the question; or what the consequences will be if you say that you do have a disability; or what judgements will be made; or will they just reject you? And so you say that you don’t have a disability, even though you do. 

The reality is that employers are looking to recruit the very best talent, and they recognise that this includes individuals who have a disability or health condition. They want you to inform them about your disability or, more specifically, the support that you will need through the recruitment process so that you can demonstrate your potential.

Only you can decide whether you are going to be open. The following are 5 reasons that you may wish to tell an employer:

Reason #1: You can request the adjustments/support you need

The main reason for telling an employer that you have a disability is to obtain the adjustments and/or support that you require during the recruitment process. Obtaining this support will enable you to demonstrate your full potential and your suitability for the role. Without it, you may be rejected for a role that you are more than capable of doing.

Reason #2: You can discuss your disability positively with an employer

When you are open about your disability, you have full control over what information you share and the way your disability is perceived by others. This is your opportunity to present your disability positively to an employer.

By articulating the skills and strengths you have developed as a result of managing your disability on a day-to-day basis, you will leave the employer with a positive impression of your abilities.

Reason #3: You can draw on your disability to demonstrate the required competencies

During an interview, an employer will ask you questions about your competencies, skills and strengths, and ask you to provide examples of when you have demonstrated these. If you have been open about your disability, you will be able to draw on the unique skills and competencies that you have developed because of managing and adapting, to your disability.

These may include skills such as resilience, determination, flexibility and problem-solving which are qualities they are likely to be recruiting for.

Reason #4: You can be yourself

It makes sense to be open about your disability because it is part of who you are. Rather than trying to cover it up, being open about your disability with an employer can help you focus on being yourself and positively presenting your talents and abilities.

Equally, trying to keep a ‘secret’ takes a lot of effort. The effort you use trying to cover up your disability would be much better spent focused on demonstrating what a great candidate you are.

Reason #5: Your disability will help you stand out

Employers receive 1000s of applications every year for their student and graduate programmes. Standing out and ensuring you are remembered, for the right reasons, is hard for any applicant. However, as someone with a disability or health condition, you can positively use this to stand out in the crowd and be remembered by those who read your application and who interview you.

By articulating your achievements, despite having a disability and the barriers that this can present, you can stand out as an exceptional candidate and one who can add value and make a positive difference to the organisation you are applying to.

For more advice and information, become a member of www.myplusstudentsclub.com, for free, and explore our eBooks covering a range of topics such as disclosure, making an application and requesting adjustments.

MyPlus Students’ Club is a free online resource for students that offers comprehensive guidance on all aspects of applying for a job or internship with a disability, as well as providing connections to, and jobs with disability confident graduate employers.

Author: Helen Cooke, Director and Founder of MyPlus Students’ Club

The post Disclosing Your Disability to an Employer: 5 Reasons to be Open appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

“My disability doesn’t make my any more special than anyone else. But I do believe it has given me something extra, a ‘plus’.” (Helen Cooke; CEO & Founder MyPlus Students’ Club)

When it comes to disability it’s easy to think about all the things you can’t do, or that you can no longer do. However, when it comes to searching for a placement or a job, it’s helpful to think about what you can do and what skills, strengths and competencies you have.

We all develop skills as a result of our experiences, and this is especially true when you have to manage a disability on a day-to-day basis in a world that wasn’t designed with you in mind. These are skills that employers are potentially looking for.

By identifying the strengths you have gained through managing a disability you can market your disability as a ‘plus’ when applying to jobs and make your application stand out from the competition and catch the eye of the recruiters.

At MyPlus Students’ Club we provide essential information and advice for students on managing your disability* during the recruitment process and into the workplace, as well as profiling disability-confident recruiters looking to engage with you.

1. Identify your ‘plus’

There are many ways to identify your strengths however a good starting point is to reflect on your own experiences, including those related to your disability, to understand where your strengths lie.

By finding real examples in your life where you have overcome disability-related challenges to achieve success, your talents and character strengths will become clearer. A good way to do this is to consider what you must do daily that your non-disabled friends don’t.

2. Communicating your ‘plus‘

For each of the strengths and skills that you identify as having developed because of your disability, you will need to be able to provide a couple of examples. The examples should be related to your disability; ideally, each skill will be developed by a different experience.

On your application form or during an interview, think positively about your experiences of disability and articulate a couple of strengths that your disability has forced you to develop that will enable you to achieve results in the future.

By communicating these strengths in an interview, and discussing the disability-related challenges you have overcome to achieve success today, you can begin to really stand out as a candidate with a ‘plus’.

3. Relating your ‘plus’ to the role

As you identify your strengths, remember that the aim is to show the employer that you have the relevant competencies and attributes to succeed in the role. Read the job description carefully and familiarise yourself with the requirements of the role.

You can then match your strengths to the job and explain how these will enable you to achieve the best results in the organisation.

4. Leveraging your disability as your differentiator

Once you have chosen your strengths, you can prepare one or two supporting examples to demonstrate how the strengths you have developed through a disability have enabled you to excel or why this strength will be an asset to the organisation.

By drawing upon personal experiences to illustrate your strengths, you can set yourself apart from the competition.

For more advice and information, become a member of www.myplusstudentsclub.com, and explore our career guides covering a range of topics such as disclosure, making an application with a disability,  and requesting adjustments by clicking on our Resources section here.

MyPlus Students’ Club is a free online resource for students that offers comprehensive guidance on all aspects of applying for a job or internship with a disability, as well as providing connections to, and jobs with disability confident graduate recruiters

*Disability includes, but is not limited to conditions such as visual and hearing impairments, mobility impairments, autism, diabetes, epilepsy, dyslexia, dyspraxia, mental health conditions, speech impairments and major illnesses such as cancer and MS.

Author: Helen Cooke, Director and Founder of MyPlus Students’ Club

The post 4 Ways to Positively Position Your Disability to a Potential Employer appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

After months of searching for the ideal placement role during my second year of university, I discovered the perfect fit for me at ProspectSoft with the assistance of RateMyPlacement.

Navigating through this experience can be quite challenging, from refining your CV to sifting through numerous job descriptions to find the best one for you.

Now, five months into my role, I can confidently say I’ve learned so much, gained and built on many skills and made some great new friends.

Read on to find out how I used RateMyPlacement to find my placement.

• Write a cracking CV
• Get your cover letter together
• What placement are you looking for?
• Read the student-written reviews
• Read interview advice

Write a cracking CV

If you haven’t already, I’d suggest starting with a powerful CV that you can be proud of, showcasing your skills and highlighting what you can offer a future employer. I think I rewrote my CV about 10 times to make it sound and look flawless.

Your CV is the first impression employers have of you, so it’s crucial to stand out. To help you do this, I recommend using the resources offered to you by your university and RateMyPlacement’s Application and Interview Tips page.

There are a range of blogs that walk you through writing your CV and what to include in it. They offer some top tips and guidance on how to turn your previous experience into your best-selling points, even if you think you have none.

Whatever you are struggling with the most when writing your CV, I can guarantee someone else is too, so ask your university for help and use the RateMyPlacement website to support you through this.

Not quite nailed down the perfect CV? Click below to get help

Get your cover letter together

Alongside an eye-catching CV, you must also include a cover letter addressing why you would like to work for the company.

This is where you can tailor your current skills to be a useful member of the team and highlight any areas of the company that you were drawn to.

While not always compulsory, cover letters can enhance your application, so I would always recommend writing one.

RateMyPlacement can assist you with this if you are struggling. Just like helping with your CV, the application tips page can help you write the best cover letter with tips from industry experts.

What placement are you looking for?

Once your CV and cover letter look polished, shift your focus to the placement role you desire and consider the skills you’d like to acquire or develop during your year in industry.

While I knew I wanted a marketing placement, distinguishing the specific role was a bit challenging. RateMyPlacement proved invaluable for navigating through various placements.

The Find a Placement page offers filters to tailor your search based on…

• Scheme length
• University year
• Job role
• Industry
• Region.

These filters streamline your options, making it easier to find relevant roles. You can be as restrictive or as inclusive as you like, helping you get an overview of the jobs available in the areas that interest you the most.

I was able to narrow down a list of hundreds to a number that was far easier to work through, and I knew that they would all be relevant to me.

Looking and applying for a placement year is time-consuming, so it’s important that you set aside a few hours once or twice a week for job scanning and applying. Making use of the resources you have around you, like the job search page, helped me easily scan and find suitable placement roles and avoid wasting time during the winter exam period.

I could…

• Read through job descriptions
• Favourite roles I liked
• Create a list of saved jobs for future reference.

This narrowed down my options, allowing for a more in-depth evaluation of each role’s focus within marketing. Creating a ‘wish list’ of potential jobs helped prioritise applications, and the saved jobs list, complete with closing dates and email reminders, ensured I stayed organised.

This meant that I could refer to the list to help schedule my applications around my exams and coursework so I didn’t miss out on any that were closing early.

Read the student-written reviews

Another helpful feature of the RateMyPlacement website is the reviews and the Best Student Employers section, which helped me determine which placements would be most beneficial for me.

Where applicable, the reviews and 5-star ratings are included on every job role page. This helped me see how students had found the placement, what they learned, and what they enjoyed and took away from their roles.

Lists like the Best 100 Student Employers helped me discover ProspectSoft, positioning 5th in the ‘Best 45 Small to Medium-sized Student Employers,’ creating a positive impression.

Read interview advice

As I progressed to the interview stage with ProspectSoft, thorough preparation was key.

I ensured that I went into the interview with a good understanding of the company and my job role by looking at the company’s website and social media.

Additionally, I used the RateMyPlacement interview pages which had plenty of resources to get some practice and good advice from students. This helped calm my nerves and fill me with confidence!

Successfully navigating the interview stages, I secured the marketing role! With support from my university’s Employability Team and RateMyPlacement’s resources, I landed my top placement choice!

I know it can be hard at times to deal with rejections and find time aside from studies, but I could not recommend a placement year more, so persevere and don’t give up.

I hope that this blog helps, and I wish you luck in finding your perfect placement!

If you are interested in finding out more about ProspectSoft and the company and placement roles offered, visit our website: placements.prospectsoft.com.

The post How I used RateMyPlacement to find my Placement at ProspectSoft appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

Ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a placement student? I’ll walk you through my typical day, offering insights into the vibrant work culture here at ProspectSoft.

It’s a Friday at the office, so we enjoy some added excitement as it’s Pizza and Beer Friday with the other placements.

Morning

8:10 AM

After getting myself ready and having a good breakfast, I leave the house and drive to the office with three of the other placements. This year, four of us are living together in Oxford. This has made the commute to and from the office much easier, and I’ve really enjoyed building great friendships with the others in the house.

Before I leave the house, I make sure I have everything I need for the day ahead. Usually, I’ll prep this the night before so I have a bit more time in the morning to get ready. On the drive into the office, I put on some country music. This helps the boys and me get into a good mood and sets us up for the day ahead!

8:30 AM

Once I arrive at the office, I’ll catch up with my colleagues and read my emails before I start my meetings. Every day at 8:30 a.m., I have an ‘Onboarding Check-In’ Teams call with the onboarding team that lasts around 15 minutes. In this call, we chat, and we all go over what we have to cover in the day ahead.

9:00 AM

Following the check-in call, we have a fortnightly training session to go over specific Prospect CRM features (customer relationship management). I really enjoy these sessions as they help provide me with more information on the system and develop my knowledge and terminology.

This not only helps with customer interactions, so I can feel more prepared and well-informed, but it also helps me gain some more insight into industry terminology that I will carry through into my final year of studies as well as my future career. Over time, these sessions will give me more confidence in my role, and I will soon be able to take customer onboarding calls.

10:30 AM

After meetings and training sessions, I start working on my work tasks for the day. Today, I have some billable work to do. This includes creating quote templates for customers, which I format in Microsoft Word and upload to customers’ CRMs. Quote templating involves designing and reformulating compatible fields for each company‘s quotation documents that work seamlessly with the CRM.

In addition to this, I have another task referred to as ‘Data Imports’; this involves me importing external customer data, like potential buyers, over to Prospect CRM so all their information can be easily accessed through the platform. This is an important task that can help make a difference in our customer’s businesses.

11:00 AM

After working through a few of my tasks, I’ll join our ProspectSoft “What’s New” Product Training Teams call. This call happens once every three weeks, and we review new CRM features. This allows all departments to get together and discuss these new features and how they affect customers. Everyone in the business must come together for this so that we are all aware of any recent changes and additions to the software.

Lunch

12:00 PM

It’s Pizza Friday! Like our “What’s New” call, we have Pizza Friday once every 3 weeks. We are provided with pizza and do a group activity. Today, we are doing a quiz! This is an enjoyable way for us to all come together to have a laugh and have a break from work.

@ps_placements Pizza Fridays at work be like #Placement #PlacementYear #TopEmployer #PizzaFriday #Pizza #Dominos #ThatFridayFeeling #FYP ♬ original sound – Katy Perry

Afternoon

1:00 PM

Typically, after lunch, I handle customer calls to schedule welcome, configuration, and training calls. However, today, I don’t have any calls to make, so this allows me to start working on any incomplete tasks I have with customers. This entails sending emails to book calls for the following week, ensuring customers are comfortable with the system, checking in on customers’ progress, and confirming customers are onboarded successfully.

We also have an online chat called Intercom, where customers can ask and discuss any queries. If they are struggling with anything regarding the CRM, they can ask on the Intercom, and I will reply as quickly as I can. Even though I will dedicate a certain amount of time to work through the chats, I must check them regularly to avoid customer dissatisfaction. This is an important part of my role, as, without it, a customer’s business can slow down and lead to customers having a negative onboarding experience.

If I am unable to help the customer with their issue, I will ask my manager to help me out. She will advise me on how best to approach it. I will then make sure to take note of this so that I know for the future.

4:30 PM

On Friday, we finish work half an hour early and have ‘Beer Friday’. Today we can celebrate the end of another good week with a drink and a game. In past times, we have played things like Skribble.IO and Uno, which always bring out people’s competitive sides and allow us to end the week on a high note.

5:00 PM

At 5pm it’s time to head home for the weekend and refresh ourselves for another week at work.

I hope this blog provides a glimpse into life as an Onboarding Placement at ProspectSoft. Engaging with customers and the dynamic work environment makes each day exciting, and I eagerly anticipate the future of my role.

Want to know more about everything a ProspectSoft placement has to offer? Check out our placement website.

The post Day in the Life: Onboarding Placement at ProspectSoft appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

Hi, I am Rohan, another Sales Assistant at ProspectSoft, and I will be discussing what a typical afternoon looks like in the office.

Setting up for the day and sales catch-up:

8:30am

I start my day by setting up my desk and prepping for our first meeting. 

I also like to open up Prospect CRM (our customer relationship management software), to check any updates and overnight activity. I also like to chat with my colleagues in the office to get the day off to a good start.

9:00am

In sales, we usually commence the day with a ‘Sales Catch Up’ Teams meeting; this is an excellent opportunity to voice any concerns with specific tasks and customers. These meetings, led by the Director of Sales and Marketing and the Sales Manager, provide helpful advice for the problems we may be facing. I take down any advice and information that will help me progress; this way, I can refer to it if I face the problem again. These meetings are invaluable for a placement like me so I can;

• Catch up with managers and sales consultants
• Help keep me in check
• Ensure I am doing the best work possible.

Additionally, the meetings allow placements to sit in on day-to-day sales conversations, giving us a broader understanding of what different jobs within the department entail. This has helped me gain more insight into industry terminology that I can use in my final year of studies and future career.

Checking the sales inbox and intercom:

10:00am

We finish our first daily task after the morning meeting. The first order of business for a Placement is to check the sales inbox. This is the general email inbox that customers send their queries to; I scan through the inbox, reply to relevant emails, delete junk emails, and redirect any that do not apply to the sales team.

This is an integral part of the role because I must ensure customer questions are answered or directed to the correct person. If forgotten or ignored, then we may lose potential customers and sales, so it is vital that we keep on top of this.

Being punctual with replies is essential because it reflects on the company; this sales inbox is monitored and kept up to date throughout the day. 

Alongside the sales inbox, we stay up to date with the intercom system, a live chat system customers can use to talk to different departments within the company; I scan through the intercom, aiming to answer questions directed to the sales team.

As a placement, I aim to approach the sales inbox and intercom confidently to help improve the customer experience and help where I can. I am reassured by the sales team’s experience, who can provide assistance and advice if there are questions we don’t know the answer to through Microsoft Teams.

Keen to find out more about what other ProstpectSoft placement students are up to? Click below to read more.

Lunch Time:

12:00pm

During lunch, I relax with my colleagues and my placements in the canteen area. We eat lunch and socialise for an hour, which helps me feel re-energised for the second half of the day and remain productive.

Finishing CRM task list and calling lists:

1:00pm

After returning from lunch, we get straight into work again. I like to finish most of my CRM tasks by this time to focus on more self-generated opportunities.

This includes working through calling lists for upcoming webinars, calling new opportunity customers for free trial demos, and chasing customers for payments. We use our calling lists from the CRM and begin to call prospects we believe are an excellent fit.

Usually, B2B businesses sell physical products and have integrations with our partner software.

I will thoroughly work through each list to encourage each prospect to sign up for our monthly free webinar. At the same time, I take down any notes on the CRM and clear up any missing or invalid information to help us improve the accuracy of our data.

Completing this task typically occupies a large portion of the afternoon, as its success can vary depending on the day. Achieving our personal daily goals is subject to the customers on the calling list, and this can make calling tasks difficult as the targets can be inconsistent.

End of the day and US calls:

4:00pm

As I mentioned earlier, I like to finish most of my tasks by the end of lunch. However, a few have to wait until later in the day due to the time difference for customers abroad.

These calls include customers in the US, Australia, and South Africa. For customers in the US, I can make calls around 4 pm as this is the time they are most likely to pick up. So, I will fill the last hour of my day with US calls and making appropriate updates to the CRM with new information.

5:00pm

After finishing the US calls, I can usually wrap up for the day and head home. However, Yamin and I must make calls twice a week during out-of-office hours to take some hours of rest instead.

Evening Australia calls:

10:00pm

After a few hours of rest, I’ll be gearing up for my calls with clients and prospects in Australia and New Zealand. I prefer conducting late-night calls over early-morning ones at this time of the year. Around 10 pm, I’ll set up and get ready to engage with Australian clients and prospects.

While it can be demanding working at this time of the day, capturing their interest in our system and witnessing future sales transactions is always gratifying. Working these late hours also gives us the flexibility to adjust our schedules during the day and take time back, an aspect of the role that I genuinely appreciate.

Overall, our days as Sales Placements are hectic, but it feels great to hit our targets and improve at what we do every day. Being able to work in such a supportive and hands-on team means that we are constantly being pushed to excel and learn new things from people who have the best experience and advice.

Our role is integral to business growth, so we take great pride in our work. Our placement year with ProspectSoft has been great so far, and we’ve been lucky enough to work with a highly motivated, energetic, and productive sales team.

If you are interested in becoming a Sales Placement at ProspectSoft, hope on over to our placements page to find out more.

The post Day in the Life: Sales Placement at ProspectSoft appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

8:30am – Daily team check-in

To kick off with a productive start, we have our daily team check-in. In the morning meetings, the project delivery team, comprising of the consultant manager and consultants, discuss their plans for the day and have group discussions about ongoing projects that are in the current sprint. Additionally, this is where I can raise any questions I have or bring up any customer emails.

This is a great way to start the day, as the team is on the same page and can support each other regarding projects which may require further team discussions. Leading on from this call I may get tasked with following up with other departments or customers, updating customers on the project progress and setting up customer meetings to scope and document requirements for projects.

As a Project Management Assistant, you will be responsible for organising and maintaining all project documentation and statuses making sure it is all up-to-date and accurate.

10:30 AM – Sprint planning

Every two weeks, we have a sprint planning meeting, where I raise any new projects that are in the backlog in addition to reviewing the previous sprint.

This is where the project delivery team plans their sprint for the next two weeks. At the end of the meeting, I’ll go through and update the status of these projects on the CRM. This means that everyone on the team and other teams can quickly check the status of any projects in the sprint.

This has helped me to work on soft skills such as time management so that I can actively work towards our team’s goals within a restricted time frame meaning we meet deadlines and keep all our customers happy.

12:00pm – Lunchtime!

During the lunch hour, I take the time to relax with my colleagues and placements. This is the time to socialise and network, and it helps to ensure that I feel re-energised for the second half of the day so I can remain productive.

1:00pm – Estimates

After lunch, we have our estimates meeting where all of ProspectSoft’s customer success, onboarding and support teams come together to discuss the costs related to our ongoing projects and to ask how much it will cost to complete specific project requirements.

The main role that I take during these meetings is a scribe where I write down the important points discussed and action plans from the project delivery and other teams, so we have a clear vision for a successful project.

This task is important, so I ensure that I am engaged and responsive to guarantee I don’t miss anything. This task has helped me develop my written and verbal communication skills.

2:30pm – Customer meeting

Scoping and documenting project requirements is an important aspect of my role as a project management assistant in supporting customer and internal projects.

It involves documenting discussions and writing down project requirements and action plans for internal teams and the customer to complete. This is important in ensuring that the customer’s project requirements are understood and expectations are set in terms of the project’s final result and the progress timeline.

3:30pm – Respond/chase emails and creating projects

Throughout the day I frequently check my emails, respond to any customer feedback and relay this to the consultant(s) completing the work.

Additionally, I’ll chase any customers for feedback on a project, ensuring the work the consultant has completed matches the customer’s expectations. This may involve coordinating resources between the consultant and customer and finding a good meeting time.

During the day, I also regularly check for new projects. Including the customer success & support team assigning theme projects to add to the projects backlog. I am responsible for 

• Checking that each project meets the project requirements
• Making sure customers have enough points 
• Recognising which sprint is likely to be scheduled for and updating and documenting the status on the CRM.

4:30pm – Telephone interviews

An additional role that I have taken on for my placement year is the recruitment for next year’s Placement Project Management Assistant.

Currently, this involves reading through CVs and cover letters and conducting telephone interviews for those who have appropriate and successful applications.

This has been a really good experience so far and has opened my eyes to the recruitment world which will help me when it comes to applying for graduate roles as I’ll know what companies are looking for during the application stages.

4:50pm – End of the day

This is a chance to prepare for tomorrow by reviewing the task list and preparing for any meetings the next day. I will then be able to form a list of projects and questions to raise for the Project Delivery team in the morning meeting.

5:00pm – Home time

Time to call it a day and prepare for another exciting day at work.

The life of a project management assistant is very dynamic and varied. You’ll never have the same two days at work.

There’s a great balance of co-ordinating projects and communicating between internal consultants and colleagues to external customers.

My role requires excellent organisation and strategic planning to ensure that there is a clear path to the project’s success.

If you think you have these qualities and can see yourself in this role, then apply now at placements.prospectsoft.com.

The post Day in the Life: Project Management Assistant at ProspectSoft appeared first on RateMyPlacement.

We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this amazing company and want to take you through a day in our lives to give you a glimpse of the fantastic work culture at ProspectSoft and what a typical day looks like for a Marketing placement student.

Morning: Getting Started

8:30am

It’s a Friday! So we’re both in the office along with the rest of the placements. We both arrive at the office and catch up with everyone to see what we’ll all be doing throughout the day.

Armed with a hot drink, we make sure to start our day on the right foot. Our priority in the morning is to stay organized and ensure we’re well-prepared for the day ahead. This involves checking our emails, Teams messages and creating a list of tasks to tackle.

9:00am

After getting a plan sorted, any tasks that may have been left unfinished from the day before must be completed. This means that we can tick off any outstanding tasks and start the day fresh before starting on any new tasks or projects. We both like getting this done first thing as that’s when we’re the most alert and our brains are fully switched on, so we can get the most out of our morning productivity and complete our tasks to the highest standard.

On the last day of each week, Khaula logs on to Google Analytics and completes ‘Source Attribution’ which helps us to track where each new Free Trial and Book a Demo Opportunity comes from. This is done regularly to help us report each Opportunity accurately.

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Late Morning: Content Creation and Recruitment

10:00am

Mid-morning shifts our focus to our primary tasks of the day. Issy often starts with managing and preparing new social media content. This may include crafting engaging campaigns, promoting the latest blog posts, and upcoming webinars, or sharing customer testimonials. Additionally, Issy ensures the company’s social media is up to date with any overnight activity.

Khaula is currently a hiring lead for next year’s commercial placements, so most mornings consist of checking the hiring portal and completing a variety of tasks. This includes promoting roles, checking CVs and cover letters, conducting telephone interviews, sending out assessment centre invites, and preparing for the assessment centre and Familiarisation Day – there’s so much to do!

At ProspectSoft, our marketing team offers two executive placement roles, each with a distinct focus. One role delves into the creative, design-oriented aspects of marketing, while the other concentrates on copywriting, recruitment, and analytics. As integral members of the marketing team, we find ourselves deeply immersed in creativity, strategy, and innovation, collaborating with a diverse array of individuals and roles within the company.

11:00am

After a quick break to grab another coffee or snack, we move on to our next tasks.

Which for Issy, is more content creation and working towards completing the bigger projects. This may include;

• Presentation slide design
• New social media posts
• Co-branded material
• Video content creation.

The current project is a promotional video for our placement website, using programs like Camtasia and Adobe Premiere Pro. Part of the project includes scripting, storyboarding, and editing the video to perfection. It’s a fun and creative task that allows Issy to showcase videography skills.

Khaula makes a start on some copywriting projects she’s been assigned. Currently, she’s working on a monthly newsletter, an email series for new users, and a data protection campaign. These tasks allow Khaula to develop her writing skills and improve transferrable skills like time management, organisation, and independent research. Khaula gets to take part in a variety of projects working alongside many different job roles to fulfil different functions and she has the opportunity to liaise with colleagues she would not otherwise have spoken to.

Lunch: Networking and Learning

12:00pm

It’s a great time to catch up with each other and talk about what going on with everyone’s days. When the managers are working from the office, we never miss a chance to have lunch with each other. It’s a great opportunity to pick their brains about the industry or their roles.

Every third Friday we attend a “What’s New” product training where we’re updated on any new updates in the CRM system. At the office, we get to order a pizza and dig in while we watch. It’s Issy’s responsibility to place the order and expense the purchase. This is a fun task but requires scheduling and planning skills to pull it off every three weeks to avoid the placements going hungry!

Afternoon: Data cleansing & Learning

1:00pm

In the afternoon, we may start to work on our ESP (Employee Success Plans) objectives. Since we have been acquired by The Access Group, we have individual objectives and goals to work towards throughout the year. This includes long-term and short-term goals that are a mix of self-improvement tasks and company initiatives. Currently, Issy engages in LinkedIn learning courses to build up CV credibility and works on our company’s Social Initiative Plan to grow ProspectSoft’s LinkedIn following with reputable prospects and customers.

Khaula’s goals are somewhat similar as they include LinkedIn courses on Google Analytics, Content Marketing, and B2B Marketing. As well as these, Khaula aims to write a series of blogs in collaboration with Unleashed, an Inventory Management Software company.

The next task on Khaula’s list is keeping on top of the company blogs. At the start of each quarter, she creates a detailed schedule for all the blog uploads. The blogs are written by everyone in the marketing team – to ensure we all get a go at writing! She also creates a blog plan for the ProspectSoft placement website where each placement contributes to further their personal development and build soft skills. She’s in charge of proofreading the other placement’s blogs and passes them on to Issy to be published.

3:00pm

Issy moves over to some data cleansing, which is an important job that focuses on clearing up and sorting through the accuracy of our data within our systems. Although this can be a tedious job – it’s essential for the upkeep of our data accuracy and makes a massive difference to the other teams like sales and onboarding.

Khaula works on creating and adding help articles for staff to use in their respective departments. The articles are also used by CRM users to troubleshoot problems and learn about the software’s capabilities. This job is very important to keep each client happy and get the most out of the CRM. It also eases the pressure on our customer support so we’re very happy to do our part!

End of the Day: Beer Friday

4:30pm

As it’s a Friday we get to switch off early ready for the weekend and enjoy a beer or non-alcoholic drink with the rest of the team in the office before we make our way home. We also love a good quiz, which can get a bit competitive from time to time but we enjoy testing everyone’s general knowledge! It’s a great way for us to end a productive work week.

5:00pm

Day done!

As Marketing Executive placements at ProspectSoft, our days are filled with creativity, innovation, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. We view our roles as enriching experiences that allow us to make a real impact on the business while developing valuable skills. No two days are the same here, providing a dynamic and engaging work environment. We’re excited about what the future holds and the post-graduate adventures in the Marketing world.

We hope this insight gives you a better understanding of the diverse tasks a marketing placement involves. The variety keeps things exciting, and there’s always something new to explore and contribute to.

If you can see yourself in this role then don’t hesitate to apply over on placements.prospectsoft.com.

The post Day in the Life: Marketing Placement at ProspectSoft appeared first on RateMyPlacement.