Placement years!

i am currently on my placement year at Pfizer in Sandwich.

The sooner you start applying the more you can apply for and the more chance you have of getting in. And dont worry about your friends not applying. I applied before all my friends and i landed a top company and some of my friends decided not to do a placement year (BAD IDEA). It is well worth the experience, i have learnt loads and i have only been here 3 months plus they pay is great. I would say going abroad would stand out ( i think i might get to do my second half in america :D) a lot more than some one who has done experience inthe UK, shows you are able to relocate affar etc...

In my experience aswell DO NOT go through your univertsity, they are a waste of time. My uni (cardiff) was so slow at sending out all the info, just go do it your self.

I cant think of much to write, too early to be up, but atleast i get paid to be tired in work :p

Make sure you CV and Covering Letter are **** hot, as most companies wont even look at you unless they are good esp the covering letter.
 
James07 said:
If your friends arnt wont that push you into doing more?!

getting more in faster, getting as many sent off as humanly possible...

i know i would...

gl dude :)
Click to expand...

Don't worry, it does, they are being slow, so I'm spamming (well not that much) companies with my applications. :)

@ Column Matrix - As far as I'm aware (I need to see people in uni about US placements) all you need is a visa and you are good to go, they are also easy enough to get, and quickly. A friend of mines little brother (little, he's 18) got a scholarship to a US sports college, so once he finished here in the UK he went off to America, and he's loving it, apparently it was fairly easy to get the documents etc. as well.

@ sbi5ar - This may sound a bit cheeky, but could you put me on MSN (hotmail in trust), as I'm sure I need pointers on my covering letter. My first version was BAD, and my missus (works in an office doing loads of letters and stuff and knows about covering letters and CVs etc.) reworked it, so it's better, but I still don't think it's all that good. The only thing the uni will have to do with it is checking over the CV, I'm applying to lots of companies, whether the uni tells me about them or not, and then if I get an offer I have to get the uni to look at the contract, but that's all. :)

InvG
 
Last edited:
Definately do a year out if you can - I'm now in my fourth and final year after a year out working for a local council in london and don't regret it one bit - not least the experience it's afforded me and the extra item to add to your CV :)

Go for it!
 
InvaderGIR said:
The way I see it is quite simply that the more I apply to, the better chance/offers I can get.
Click to expand...

Bad idea. I see people rush and complete loads of application forms, thinking that they might get a interview because of the number of applications.

It's quality vs quantity. I only applied to 2 companies myself.
 
triggerthat said:
Bad idea. I see people rush and complete loads of application forms, thinking that they might get a interview because of the number of applications.

It's quality vs quantity. I only applied to 2 companies myself.
Click to expand...

I think that was answered well here...

TheOtherOption said:
When I was applying I only actually sent off one application letter and that was the job I landed - after interview of course - fair bit of luck involved though I gotta say !
Click to expand...

If I just go for the couple jobs, and I lose them, then what? I'm stuffed as I've missed the boat on application times.

I'm not saying I'm brilliant or anything, but I really don't have a shoddy CV, the only thing that lets it down is the fact that I gave up in my final year at college and finished with CDD instead of As/Bs.

I'm applying for the big companies I would love to work for, and will soon sort out applications for smaller ones that are less interest to me. I'd rather have sent out say 60 applications than one, if I send just the one I may be lucky and get it, but if I send 60, I have a better chance of getting something I will enjoy.

Lower applications may have worked for you, but personally I'd like to do more.

InvG
 
i've just started a placement year @ PA Photos in Nottingham where i'm just about to finish my first week (great place, great people btw - i was VERY lucky to get this at the last minute). My advice is you do it as early as possible! I left mine till AUGUST! and you don't want to be in that situation... trust me on that one. Applying earlier means you have more options, generally the companies that search earlier are the bigger ones which are harder to get into. Also, don't limit your search for where you want to work. I narrowed mine to London and those jobs are tough to get and it's also very expensive to commute each day etc.

A lot of student will not apply early, don't follow the crowd and get it sorted ASAP you will love it when your mates are panicing at the end of the year.
 
Last edited:
another thing, the earlier you get it sorted the more planning you can make about moving to the location etc getting you accomodation sorted.

I sent you an email earlier, and will be on MSN later,

The placement year is the best thing you will do in your uni years esp if you get paid for it :p thank god i do hehe :D
 
Argh im in this situation now but am very apprehensive! Ive polished up my CV as best i can but i still don't know where to start with regards where to apply, obviously something related to my degree (business management) would be a good idea!
 
Guys, make the most of your Uni careers service, they can help with application forms, interview technique, assessment centres etc. They should also arrange talks from employers so go to the relevant ones to get a real feel for what is involved.

I'm 3rd year starting to apply for jobs next week, they're gonna get really fed up of me soon cos I'm attending practically everything :p.
 
Best thing to do is start applying early, its when most of the big and best employers start hiring placement students, im on mine at the minute, working for fujitsu, but i left it late but got lucky to get this job. You dont want to get hired for a job where you will be fixing printers or computers for a year which is nothing related to your degree (this is an example if you are doing a comp sci degree). So its best to apply early, make full use of your careers service as they will help you sort your CV out, and also help you with interviews.
 
I've just started my final year after an 8 month placement. Really enjoyed it and got some nice funds to tide me over the rest of the year. I wanted to get a job in a school so I just sent letters to every school in the area quite early asking them if they had any positions. From about 8 letters I got one reply which said no. Eventually I randomly came across a technician job in a local school, applied, got an interview and got the job. The whole interview thing was a good experience and I now have a place to go work if ever I'm stuck according to them.

Although some kids at Uni didn't do a placement and got to get their final year project out of the way early which I wish I could have done but nevermind.
 
[TW]Fox;10299659 said:
You can never apply too soon.
Click to expand...

Somewhat true. It's obviously all to do with when the schemes you're most interested are open. When they open, apply ASAP, don't get a rubbish job now just because the better one's might not be open yet, don't settle for something just because it might seem easier and quicker.
 
Just a comment for those considering working in California... make sure you do your sums properly with regards accommodation costs and the salary you'll be offered. I remember US internships (as they're called) being very badly paid. I've previously worked for Tibco whose US offices are in Palo Alto, and the cost of living there is utterly obscene. People in Silicon Valley end up doing these mad commutes just to be able to live somewhere they can afford - and they're earning more than the interns.
 
GarethDW said:
Just a comment for those considering working in California... make sure you do your sums properly with regards accommodation costs and the salary you'll be offered. I remember US internships (as they're called) being very badly paid. I've previously worked for Tibco whose US offices are in Palo Alto, and the cost of living there is utterly obscene. People in Silicon Valley end up doing these mad commutes just to be able to live somewhere they can afford - and they're earning more than the interns.
Click to expand...

Silicon Valley is somewhere I'd rather not try to get to really, simply because it is 'the' computer area in the world, whilst looking great on a CV I doubt I would get as much out of it as I would if I worked in some (relativly) random town/city in the US.

The fact you've mentioned that it costs a lot to live there also sways me away from it. :)

InvG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom