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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Industrial placements

306 replies

BlueskyBluesea · 30/10/2024 17:33

How are your DC getting on with arranging these? It seems like every placement is so competitive and really it is very lucky if a student is able to organise a placement that is relevant to their degree. Or do you have a son or daughter that found and completed a placement ....any advice gratefully appreciated ☺️

OP posts:
NotDonna · 09/02/2025 12:38

Wholeheartedly agree @TizerorFizz

cyclingmum67 · 09/02/2025 14:50

I do still think it’s a massive faff and slog!

100% agree.

The one silver lining though, as mentioned by someone earlier on this thread, is that it's exactly the same slog as applying for graduate positions: those who've already been through it for IPs can hit the ground running in final year

Original poster
BlueskyBluesea · 09/02/2025 16:40

Randomly my DC got a phone call offering a placement! She had already decided to continue degree without the placement year and try for summer internships instead but I just wanted to mention to anyone that has children still waiting on year placement decisions that companies are still reaching out and making offers even now. Best wishes 😊

OP posts:
cyclingmum67 · 09/02/2025 16:46

@BlueskyBluesea - brilliant. Is she going to take it ?

As you say, plenty of opportunities still out there - many companies, including some well known ones, e.g. Proctor and Gamble, still just advertising their placement vacancies now

foghead · 09/02/2025 17:02

@BlueskyBluesea congrats to your Dd.
Ds is still applying. He applied for 3 this weekend and will do another this evening.

Original poster
BlueskyBluesea · 09/02/2025 18:38

@cyclingmum67
No, she has decided to keep on with degree without placement year, she sorted third year house in November once she decided this, 🤞a summer placement for a few months of experience and income comes through eventually.

Good luck to your son @foghead I hope he hears back soon with a positive outcome🤞

OP posts:
NotDonna · 09/02/2025 23:04

@BlueskyBluesea totally understand her decision. I’m guessing she applied and had completed all the stages by November (when she found the house) so they are quite slow in replying. After 2/3 months you do think it’s not happening.

Original poster
BlueskyBluesea · 10/02/2025 06:15

Yes @NotDonna she started applying for the year in industry placements pretty early but then almost as she was doing the applications she questioned where her interests lay a bit and also whether it was a good idea for her to delay completing her degree. I think she has quite a few different areas of interest career wise and so was a bit worried about committing to doing a year of something she wasn't fully in to. If she can get a summer placement I think that would suit her better.

OP posts:
foghead · 12/02/2025 10:51

I'm also annoyed that I don't know whether or not to book a holiday this summer as ds has decided to apply for summer placements too now.

NotDonna · 12/02/2025 23:21

@foghead you book somewhere for you - maybe an opportunity to be selfish? ☺️☺️

DuesToTheDirt · 12/02/2025 23:54

cyclingmum67 · 13/01/2025 17:43

Fair point @AquaLeader

I acknowledge that ATS systems doing simple keyword matching (effectively a grep of a text file) are well matured and aren't using AI, even though I imagine some companies are marketing their products as such.

However, newer ATS systems are leveraging AI for enhanced keyword matching, specifically NLP and Semantic Search, to try and ascertain the context of and meaning behind the keywords.

The 2nd sentence was courtesy of Gemini 🙂- while I've a good understanding of GenAI (currently using the Open AI APIs for my day job - fintech) I've no experience of recruitment or how their systems operate.

Based on DS's experiences though, it does seem challenging to "defeat" the automation and reach the point of speaking to a human nowadays - far more so than 10 years ago (last time I went through a hiring process).

@TizerorFizz - yes, small firms may actually have a person read an application. DS has applied to 4 small firms though (single office/location) in early December and has yet to receive an acknowledgement of receipt of his application, which isn't a sign I'd want to work for a company like that. Appreciate that this won't be representative of all small firms though.

He's currently finding the best traction with mid-tier firms (circa. 500 employees with 5 - 10 offices) - still using automated tests, but being much more faster in their feedback cycles.

I have been working for years in a company that makes an ATS. It's not AI, but neither is it simple keyword matching - it's much more sophisticated than grep, or I wouldn't have a job!

fortyfifty · 13/02/2025 10:05

@DuesToTheDirt

Care to share any tips for our young people applying for undergrad placements and grad jobs? 🙂

foghead · 13/02/2025 10:56

@NotDonna I just went away with friends before Christmas and had a weekend away in January. I'm not averse to being a bit selfish now and then Smile
I have younger dc though and would love to book a family break somewhere over the summer. I'm hoping ds gets news before Easter.

Namechangedasouting987 · 13/02/2025 15:42

Sorry to crash the thread but just found out today that DS1 has landed a paid summer internship at a major supermarket in the creative field..he is a fine art student and so everyone has always told him he would never land a grad job. He is on his way now!
But my life what a slog. He applied for over 30. And has only got this far in one! Huge numbers of steps. AI application filtering, then cognitive testing, then AI interview, then a human reveiwed his steps to date and agreed to short list. Then a whole day on line selection centre with individual interview, group work, and presentation.
Hoping it will lead to a grad placement next summer. And then a grad job! He applied in October. So it's taken this long!
I am exhausted on his behalf. And ecstatic for him.

NotDonna · 13/02/2025 16:15

Yaay well done to him!! It IS such a slog. Fingers crossed he has a ball, they love him & offer him a grad option. He’s also trying them out too though.

DuesToTheDirt · 13/02/2025 19:35

fortyfifty · 13/02/2025 10:05

@DuesToTheDirt

Care to share any tips for our young people applying for undergrad placements and grad jobs? 🙂

Ah, I'm not a recruiter though. What I'd say about CVs though, is don't make them overcomplicated visually, or they're harder for automatic systems and the software might miss things. I'm talking about stuff like using a picture for your name! But also, tables, vertical writing in a left-hand column, things like that make it more complex - we do deal with all sorts of formats, but you're risking the information not getting understood by the system.

herigoagain · 17/02/2025 18:07

Does anyone have experience of a reserve list with a positive outcome? Is it just a polite way to manage a no or could it actually lead to a job. For context, support function in a major bank. Thanks

NotDonna · 19/02/2025 21:10

DDs slog has finally paid off and she has a year in industry placement! The minute she accepted it, can you believe another offer came through. The accepted offer is the preferred one, thank heavens. Huge good luck to everyone who’s still slogging away 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

cyclingmum67 · 19/02/2025 22:42

NotDonna · 19/02/2025 21:10

DDs slog has finally paid off and she has a year in industry placement! The minute she accepted it, can you believe another offer came through. The accepted offer is the preferred one, thank heavens. Huge good luck to everyone who’s still slogging away 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

That's brilliant. Well done to your DD and, of course, to yourself for all the support you've no doubt being giving.

Does she have to find somewhere new to live next year for it ?

NotDonna · 20/02/2025 04:30

@cyclingmum67 no she can live at home which will save a fortune on rent. It’ll be about a 30 min commute so absolutely perfect!

Original poster
BlueskyBluesea · 20/02/2025 09:53

@NotDonna massive congratulations to your daughter that is fabulous news 😊

OP posts:
PearlStork · 20/02/2025 10:43

@NotDonna congratulations to your DD.

Mine saved £10k (and had 3 foreign holidays) during her placement year. Has made her final year much more comfortable as she can afford to cut back on her term time job hours. Also this year she has more success in getting through the stages of grad job schemes compared to her classmates (which she attributes to having done a placement).

Shimy · 20/02/2025 21:44

/@NotDonna & @Namechangedasouting987 Congratulations to you both. They've got their foot firmly on the job door for when they graduate, they're like gold dust but worth all the agro if you can get one.1

foghead · 16/04/2025 08:22

well done to your Dd @NotDonna
has anyone else’s dc had any luck since then. Ds has given up. There are some being advertised but he thinks it’s pointless. He knows no one who got one.

Shimy · 16/04/2025 10:31

@foghead That is so disheartening and i feel so sad for him. However, it's not the end of the read. I'd just encourage him to focus on his uni work and get the best degree he can, he has learnt a lot from the process alone so he'll be doubly prepared when the next round of applying for Jobs starts for graduation. He can spend his time also with padding & tweaking his CV a bit more with extra curriculars and practising those online tests (ds used to do 15mins everyday). Something will come it's just a matter of when.