How to find student placements?

Student placements are an excellent way to get your feet wet and use the knowledge and skills you acquired during your studies. There are plenty of student placement jobs available and you just need to look hard enough.

While some students work to earn extra money, others see student placements as a way to start building their personal brands early. Whichever the case might be, don’t take just any job – try to go through the student placement job offers online and see what would fit your situation best.

It is always beneficial to experience actual tasks closely related to your industry, and student placements are a great way to do it!

WHAT ARE STUDENT PLACEMENTS?

Student placement is a planned period of temporary work experience. One should differentiate between student placement and a student internship. Student placement refers to an extended period of internship during students’ studies. Student placement jobs last mostly during the whole academic year.

One of the popular choices among students is the so-called “sandwich placement”. It is incorporated within the study program and lasts between 6 and 12 months. Summer placements are also possible, but they last much shorter, up to 3 months. When looking at student placements, make sure to choose the one that suits you best.

These types of work experience are crucial for students who will soon graduate. It provides them with hands-on experience and insight into the way organizations operate. These work experiences are detailed but quite narrow.

Students get money for student placements, depending of course, on the type of placement, industry, and the company. Adding a student placement as a relevant work experience in your CV will help you get noticed by recruiters.

WHERE TO START AND HOW TO APPLY?

First, there might be a possibility that your university helps with student placements. They can perhaps connect you with a company you’d later on be interested in working for.

But even if that is not the case and you’re on your own – don’t worry! Student placements are not that hard to find! You can actually find student placements on any job board. We would recommend checking LinkedIn first. Simply search for “student placement” or search by your industry.

Just make sure to read the ads carefully and get acquainted with the types of student placements. Take your time, study your industry, requirements offers – everything! Don’t forget to check for how long the position would be because different companies and industries have different approaches to student placements.

Student placements will broaden your networking opportunities. Additionally, you will get an immediate experience of working in a company. Students who excel during their placement often receive letters of recommendation from their managers. Some get an entry-level position in the company after graduation. If that is not good enough motivation to do it, we don’t know what is.

Let’s say you know your interests, you went through loads of ads, and you have found the student placement job that fits your wishes.

The next step is to write a quality CV. Remember to emphasize the most relevant skills needed for that industry. Also, don’t forget to include your transferable skills in the equation. These tips will help you outline your CV and focus on the most important sections of your CV and your application.

To learn more about CV writing, check out our other Blog posts, like this one. There’s plenty of advice out there, even on this website, and you can find a placement in no time if you just apply the tips we share.

If you do need additional help, reach out to us and we’ll help you with your student placement.