What's better a placement year or year abroad?

[LMP1977]

DD can't decide. Doesn't know exact job she wants.

It totally depends. Is this a gap year or as part of a degree?

Can it not be both? Working on a placement whilst abroad is quite usual when doing a language degree.

Oh this is with the uni

I got to do both through uni?

They're only giving her the one choice

Placement year looks much better in graduate scheme applications.

Yeah placement is great for having the advantage of work experience...

My year studying abroad was one of my happiest ever, amazing experience...

It will help if she decides what she wants to do at the end of the degree. If she wants to do a grad scheme then placement her is great.

If she just wants to job search outside of those schemes or do something else, then the year abroad.

DD did both. Studied in the US and had a year in industry. She definitely would say the year in industry. Said when she graduated it put her in a much better position when job hunting.

If you're looking to get into work immediately, then a placement year; for life experience, then a year abroad. DS1 went to Berlin with Erasmus, knew no German before he went, but now has excellent conversational German, using all the cases and many tenses.

His good friend, doing the same degree, did a placement in London and is now working in his £multi-billion placement company. He had never worked before.

DS1 has just got onto a graduate scheme with a £multi-billion company.

They both got the same first class honours degree.

It depends on the person and the degree, says DS1.

DS1 worked while studying in Berlin. It wasn't connected to his degree, but was great for improving language and learning more about the culture.

Can she not push for both? I studied at a French University for most of my 2nd year and then did a year in industry in France as my 3rd year (1st and 4th years at UK university) of an International Business Studies degree in the 90s.

I actually don't think it was having worked for a year which opened up doors / got me interviews - it was having had an "experience" without the usual safety net of other students / parents a car ride away - doing something slightly outside the norm.

DS is a fluent Spanish speaker and did a European languages degree with year abroad in France and taught in a school via British Council then did three months in Germany working at a Language School through Erasmus. His French is now excellent and he has good conversational German. He loved it.

For future employment prospects, a placement year every time. Students who do one are significantly more likely to get graduate level jobs. Depending on the field, some get offered jobs at their placement company or through contacts made there, so in that sense UK placements may be better.