There are several benefits of gaining work experience before staring fulltime work after graduating. The option of completing a placement or internship is becoming more popular as many undergraduate programmes now offer the possibility to spend a placement year working in the real world. ‘A Placement Year’ refers to a year that is dedicated to working in an organisation to get practical working experience. Research has shown that two-thirds of employers seek graduates with appropriate work experience since it helps students get ready for the world of work and build overall business awareness.
Work experience opportunities can range from a yearlong placement as part of a sandwich degree, summer internship or shadowing an employer for a couple of weeks or days. Internships and placements are offered in numerous sectors and industries i.e., business, law engineering, hospitality etc. In which, vacancies can be found on employers careers websites, search engines, social media, job portals or by networking.
The opportunity may or may not be paid depending on the contract. Many placement and internship opportunities are advertised during autumn therefore it is important to begin searching for vacancies early. However, if you decide to do an internship or placement later, you still have a decent possibility of getting one because some employers will advertise vacancies up till the end of September.
Experience!…Experience!…Experience!…
Getting some work experience can improve a student’s chances of obtaining a degree with a higher grade. Research indicates that students who did a placement or internship were more likely to get a higher grade in their degree. As we all know degree classification is vital in the increasingly competitive graduate job market. Work experience allows students to work on daily activities and acquire more specialized skills and knowledge that will be expected of them as a graduate.
Undertaking some work experience before graduating can help you to obtain a better insight into a career and to determine what you might want to do because it allows you to visualize a glimpse of yourself at work in that specific career, industry or sector. A placement or internship can validate career ambitions or help you realise a career specialism that you believed was best for you is possibly not. Work experience can ultimately help students gain direction for their future career.
Work experience also allows students to use the knowledge acquires at university in practical situations without the support of an employer and an organisation. Some students go on to base their dissertation or final year assessment around a project they were apart of during an internship or placement. Work experience can also help students gain additional understanding and knowledge that can be applied to their studies. A placement or internship can help you get a graduate job early because many organisations use these opportunities as a recruitment tool.
Organisations could be more likely to hire graduates they have worked with before compared to the ones they have only encountered in an interview situation. Some organisations might even offer to keep students on as part-time employees until the completion of their degree. This can help students to master the art of balancing work with other commitments. Completing a placement or internship can be a great chance to network and connect with individuals who can benefit you in the future with career plans. A year in industry can also be a great opportunity to experience living in a different part of the country or even the world!
Some universities offer the option to complete a year abroad placement that can give students the chance to experience a different culture which can be a beneficial life experience that can broaden view and opinions. Typically, students can apply for grants to cover the travel expenses necessary for the year abroad. Having a degree is valuable but so is securing some experience alongside can set you apart from a sea of graduates so looking into the option is an important thing to consider.
To keep up to date with the latest commercial news, click on commercial awareness to get your daily dose.
Donate & Support