Five reasons why all university students should do a placement year

Hello! My name’s Joanne, and I’m a Business and Marketing student - currently on a work placement at Huddersfield Business School. I’ve been in my role as Marketing and Engagement Assistant since September 2021, and it was the best decision I’ve made regarding my university journey so far. I decided to take part in a placement as I didn’t have much marketing work experience and I wanted to make sure I was in the best possible position to have a successful career in marketing when leaving university. When I saw that Huddersfield Business School was recruiting for a placement student to join its marketing department, I knew I had to go for the opportunity as I thought it would be a great place to learn and develop! I did lots of preparation for the interview and the Employability and Placements Team at Huddersfield Business School gave me support and guidance to help prepare me for success. Over the past year, I’ve gained so much from this experience and noticed the countless benefits to doing a placement year.  In this blog, I share my five top reasons why I think students should do a placement year while at uni.  

1) Learn new skills 

Taking part in a placement year enables you to gain a whole range of different skills. From time-management due to having to meet important deadlines to communication skills from liaising with different, varying audiences. The skillset you can walk away from your placement year with is priceless! You’re guaranteed to learn new technical skills while on your placement from using new systems, different technologies and completing short training courses. However, you also develop soft skills, which are highly valued by employers, such as working as a team to get projects completed, organising your workload effectively and knowing how to solve problems quickly and efficiently.  

 

2) Enhance your employability 

A work placement is a fantastic way to boost your CV with experience in the industry that you study in. The employability aspect was the main motivation for me to take part in a placement, however, I’ll be walking away with so much more than that. Experience in an established company or organisation shows employers that you can work alongside industry professionals as a valued member of a team. Also, the contacts you create while on placement, can come in handy for when you graduate and are looking for employment.  

 

3) Personal development  

Reflecting on what I’ve gained from my placement year, my personal development is what I value the most. My confidence has sky-rocketed from stepping out of my comfort zone. I have developed my confidence with public speaking while on my placement - I recently presented a welcome talk to a college that was visiting our school, which I’m very proud of! I have found confidence in supporting my colleagues too, especially regarding new members of staff where I have guided them in their first few weeks and taught them about our brand guidelines, procedures and given tips that I have learned along the way. My placement year has given me the confidence to push myself in other areas also. I’ve recently been appointed the Vice President of the Marketing Society, which I would never have aimed for before my placement, due to my lack of confidence.   

My placement has also helped me decide what career path I want to go down when I graduate. During my second year of university, I had already decided that I wanted to go down the marketing route rather than business, but this year has allowed me to explore other options. I know that I want to go into a career surrounding social media and digital marketing as I have enjoyed this element a lot at work, and digital is becoming increasingly prominent, offering lots of exciting career opportunities. I have decided I am going to do a postgraduate degree in Digital Marketing to further hone my skills and knowledge. Also, I’ve been heavily involved in events (both event promotion and coordination), which I have enjoyed so I would also like a role that has some involvement in events.  

4) Gain experience in a real work environment  

Taking part in a placement gives you experience in working in a real work environment and enables you develop on the level of professional required to secure employment following graduation. My placement came as a shock regarding the early mornings and long hours, meaning I had to find motivation to work to the best of my ability with my new routine. My placement has given me real responsibility as a valued member of a team. I was given deadlines and was responsible for various projects, which is a great way to get students ready for holding real responsibility in an organisation.  I was responsible for managing the organisation’s social media channels by creating a content planner, conducting a social media audit, and writing and creating social posts. My work is valued by the team I work in as people come to me for assistance and my opinion on projects, so I am pleased that I am contributing well to the organisation. 

5) Gain knowledge 

I have gained so much valuable knowledge while on my placement year, especially regarding my subject area of marketing. It has been great to use the marketing theory and tools I have learned in university and apply it to my role. When I go back for my final year, I will be able to apply the practical knowledge I’ve learned on placement to my assignments as I now have a better understanding of the world of marketing. I’ve also gained some essential business knowledge concerning how companies operate, the organisational structure, how the organisation works with other companies, sets objectives and so much more. This is knowledge I can take with me to my next job and will help me if I wanted to go into a managerial role.  

Final Thoughts  

No matter what course you study, I advise if given the opportunity to do a placement year – do it! I have had one of the best years of my life so far. I have learned so much, developed on myself and worked with some fantastic people, who champion my development and progression. There are also opportunities to secure a graduate role while on placement so there’s even chance to have a job lined up for you once you finish university. Following success of my placement, I’ll be working here part-time during my final year too, so that I can continue to develop my skills and knowledge further to enhance my employability.  

To find out more about the placements offered at Huddersfield Business School, visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/about/schools/huddersfield-business-school/organisation-and-support/student-grad-talent/placements/.  

To learn about Business and Marketing BA(Hons), please head to https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2023-24/full-time/undergraduate/business-and-marketing-ba-hons.