The RateMyPlacement Blog

Student on placement – the story so far….

Wednesday, 23rd January 2008

I found a particularly interesting and relevant article at The Times Online website from December 31st 2007. The article is written by a student from Oxford Brookes University who is mid-way through his 12 month work placement at Renault UK.

The article talks about his experiences during the second year of his degree whilst searching for a work placement, the recruitment process and landing his job with Renault.  He goes on to talk about life in the job and the fact that he quickly had to realise he’s in a responsible role, with people relying on the work he produces.

I think the article is an excellent read for any student currently searching for a work placement – particularly those who may have had some unsuccessful applications or are unsure as to whether or not they should go ahead with a placement.

As always – we’d love to hear your comments and thoughts on this article. Any students who have been through the placement process are also more than welcome to contribute – do you agree with the views of the author?

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Your Comments

  • I’ve just secured my placement with Caterpillar and I can completely relate to this article in terms of actually finding a placement – it’s a very daunting process and I’d previously had little experience of interviews (other than for a job in a supermarket and a bar!) or anything like that.

    One of the most difficult parts of the entire search I found was the time it takes to fill in some of the online application forms, go through the phone interview, attend the assessment centre, and then find out I didn’t get the job. At first its particularly disappointing however I’d urge others in the same boat as me not to give up – it’s all great experience, and I felt so much more confident going into my Caterpillar assessment centre because I’d already attended two previous ones. Plus I’m sure when it comes to applying for graduate jobs the experiences will come in very handy.

    Now that I’ve got my placement, I can relax and although I’m nervous about it, I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in to something new, learning new skills, meeting new people (and of course earning some decent money for the first time in my life – Topshop here I come!)

    Katie Lewis – 25th Jan 2008

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