Uni Placement Year

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I've just completed my first year of uni and about to go into my second year in September.

But lately I've been thinking about my 3rd year which is an optional placement year. I've been thinking that it's probably a good idea to start researching relevant companies now and maybe start contacting them in the not to far future.

I'm just generally looking for some advice on what i should do, is it too early to be emailing companies? also what sort of thing should i write or include when contacting companies?

Oh yea i'm looking for a 3D CAD Product Design job, I'm literally willing to work anywhere in the UK or Ireland.
 
Never too early to start e-mailing. If you're flexible, make sure you highlight you are more than happy to consider moving location. Employers dig this. Try to branch out slightly from CAD type stuff, it will give you more selection of jobs to apply to. Have you ever considered a project management placement? This will also speak volumes on your future CV. You'll be competition with thousands of other grads, so highlight technical abilities. Highlighting stuff like Word is pointless when targetting CAD jobs - they'd expect you to know that stuff if you're operating AutoCAD. Rather spend that space going into brief detail on what CAD packages you've used, and an example of your work.

My biggest advice: get stuck into as many pies as possible.

A few companies which I know who do the kind of work you want:
- TWI Limited in Cambridge. Don't dismiss this, it's not just all about welding.
- Thames Water. They're undergoing a huge project in London renewing old pipework and want undergrads. A lot of engineers and designers are using CAD for underground schematics.
- EADS Astrium. They're also very keen on undergrads. Although a lot of competition for this.
- TfL. They do extensive project management placements. The kind of projects you'll be involved in are within the LU projects directorate. Stuff like Bank station upgrade works. They're itching for CAD under/grads. Especially after Tubelines and Metronet are now defunct, all engineering type stuff is now done in house.
- EDF. They're currently doing vast projects across the UK since it integrated with British Energy. They recently re-opened their placements page. It's an easy application process for such a large organisation. Get in before anyone else does!
- Corus. They do a hell of a lot of CAD stuff. They have a huge office in Rotherham and often take undergrad placements to work on their BSS-133 300M Landing Gear Grade Steel. This is a very lucrative industry to work for. They also operate a "Spend a night with Corus scheme." My advice is look it up and apply to the scheme. It'll help quite a lot (people who I know who went on this scheme got placements, and in the end grad jobs with Corus).

- Sign up to EDT YiNI as soon as possible. They'll help you find placements. It's a good place to start.
 
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Ricochet J said:
Never too early to start e-mailing. If you're flexible, make sure you highlight you are more than happy to consider moving location. Employers dig this. Try to branch out slightly from CAD type stuff, it will give you more selection of jobs to apply to. Have you ever considered a project management placement? This will also speak volumes on your future CV. You'll be competition with thousands of other grads, so highlight technical abilities. Highlighting stuff like Word is pointless when targetting CAD jobs - they'd expect you to know that stuff if you're operating AutoCAD. Rather spend that space going into brief detail on what CAD packages you've used, and an example of your work.
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Yea i'll definately highlight my flexibility on location. CAD is my favorite element of product design but i'd happier take anything in that sort of field.
Sorry if i sound stupid but what's a project management placement?
I'm pretty good at solidworks and I was considering under taking the SolidWorks CSWA exam maybe this summer if i have time. Also teaching myself AutoCAD and might try another.
 
Project management placement is where an organisation will give you a specific task to complete within your arranged placement time - 6 weeks, 6 months or 12 months. Your project is usually part of a bigger project. TfL for example are currently rolling out the stations upgrade program. The project manager for this project owns the project. S/he may turn to you and give you a task such as establishing new viaducts and diverting customers to other accesses. Doing this isn't as easy as it sounds and usually takes a lot of research and managing.

Taking the Solidworks qualification exam can only help. AutoCAD is quite difficult to master. They won't expect you to know AutoCAD from memory. But they will expect you to know basic stuff like orthographic projections, and British Standards.
 
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I'm on a four year mechanical engineering course. I just finished my third year and before I go back to my fourth I want to do a year long placement. Whilst at uni I also work for them as an "ambassador". It means when companies come to visit my uni, I'll show them around but also ask them questions and get a feel for what they do. Quite often they invite me to their place of work to look around.
 
I did a year placement year for my Computer Science course. DO IT. Before taht I was so un-motivated etc... now im basically a changed person adn my grades have gone way up as a result of that. Not to mention the experience I got...
 
Ricochet J said:
I'm on a four year mechanical engineering course. I just finished my third year and before I go back to my fourth I want to do a year long placement. Whilst at uni I also work for them as an "ambassador". It means when companies come to visit my uni, I'll show them around but also ask them questions and get a feel for what they do. Quite often they invite me to their place of work to look around.
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ah right. seeing as i've only just completed my first year, i don't have a very large portfolio of work to show, would it be beneficial to model some existing products or some of my own ideas to show my modeling ability and creativity?


nex20 said:
I did a year placement year for my Computer Science course. DO IT. Before taht I was so un-motivated etc... now im basically a changed person adn my grades have gone way up as a result of that. Not to mention the experience I got...
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oh there is no doubt in my mind, i will definately be doing a placement year. i'm just looking for a little guidance on how to go about it
 
nex20 said:
I did a year placement year for my Computer Science course. DO IT. Before taht I was so un-motivated etc... now im basically a changed person adn my grades have gone way up as a result of that. Not to mention the experience I got...
Click to expand...

Can I ask what companies you applied to and where you did your placement?
 
mikeyp123 said:
I was asking for help! I'm starting a Comp Sci with industry year in Sept so was just keen to start listing some places :/
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Ah ok then. Well I don't really know anywhere you could list. The company I worked for would only accept people from my uni but they don't do the program any more ( I was the last placement guy, don't know what that says about me! :P). I applied for quite a few but there were lists upon lists of available placement jobs in the universitys placement office.
 
Literally just finished a placement year myself. I can't recommend it enough. I really feel more degrees should have these attached. Start as early as you can when applying. I started right at the beginning of my second year and even then only just secured a placement. I would post more details but i need to sleep.
 
skippy2421 said:
Literally just finished a placement year myself.
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Wow you did long hours :D

Have two weeks left of my placement year, great expierance defo more motivated, get a taste for the real world great to put on the CV for grad jobs etc etc.

Start applying as soon as possible to as many places as possible. Dont be too picky about what you accept, one of my friends did this after getting offered a placement after his first interview then didnt get another offer until the end of May!
 
Can't recommend a placement year enough, not only do you get some experience, you get to know if you really want to this sort of thing for a living, its never to early to start applying for jobs, the cut off date for some of the larger companies is as early as the end of October so get in there as quick as possible. Personally I found doing it really changed my outlook as well and I did better overall as a result, I think that you would be insane to turn down the chance of a placement year, I am also pretty sure my placement got me to where I am today (Comp Sci as well btw).
 
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nex20 said:
I did a year placement year for my Computer Science course. DO IT. Before taht I was so un-motivated etc... now im basically a changed person adn my grades have gone way up as a result of that. Not to mention the experience I got...
Click to expand...

I found this!!!!

Loved the year out... changed my outlook... made me knuckle down when I got back to uni, otherwise I would have just bundled along and got a rubbish degree!!
 
Never too early, I am starting mine in fact in one months :)

I found emailing them helpful (a lot of separate emails specific for placements/graduates), a tip I would give is ring the company when you see a vacancy and see if you can get them to put you onto the line manager who you would be working for, and have a pleasant chat with him. I found a lot at the end said send me your CV directly! (Doesn't always work, but shows your keen!) Also on the phone they don't fob you off as easily as email (where they mass delete a lot of emails).

Take every opportunity of your university placement office, they have great contacts and can give great advice on your CV/Cover Letter.
 
I am currently going into my 2nd year of a Computing Science degree and although the actual degree has a summer placement after 3rd year I was wondering if I should still try to get a years placement in addition to that?

I'll be more focused on software engineering by then therefore does anyone know any companies I should contact? Most if not all that I have looked at require you to be in your final year.
 
Ok so i've spent the whole day researching companies up and down the UK and come up with a fairly substantial list.

The next step i guess would be to create a CV to include, but what else should i include? i can't possibly attach my 1st year portfolio as no one is willing to read through 40 or 50 pages of work so how should i condense my work down to still be able to show not just my final design but my ability to carry out the entire design process. A couple of pictures? or create a little slide show of thought process for youtube or what?
 
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