Industrial placements

[BlueskyBluesea]

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 ☺️

@Ellerby83 I do know Bath is a premier uni for Psychology with a placement but not sure how many students actually get them. My feeling is too many unis offer the courses and do know they don’t have placements for the psychology students. Only around 20% of these students end up in anything to do with psychology. Loads try but don’t get anywhere.

@Bigfatsquirrel - he's doing Accounting and Finance, so a broad scope for placement opportunities.

Some of the processes the larger firms are operating are very time consuming and drawn out (5 stages for some of the well known firms !!!) - the smaller firms have much more lightweight processes and you're more likely to meet/talk with a human being early on.

DS1 did a placement year in 2022, studied CS and ds2 (Management) is currently on placement. Both got placements directly related to what they were studying. They are very competitive but not insurmountable. DS2 said all his friends looking for industrial placements got them and most got more than one offer. I think there's something about going to a uni where most of the students apply for placements that creates the right environment 'buzz' when they are preparing for their applications. DS2 called it 'placement' season at his uni, everyone was getting into groups doing practice case analysis, assessments etc, the uni was also geared up to provide some level of help with preparation beyond just looking at CV's. DS2's experience was somewhat different because it was right in the middle of lockdown when he was making his applications so there was zilch support. I had to be a bit more hands-on to guide and provide interview practice and he spent a lot of time doing online tests.
In my opinion the availability of placements was one of the things DS's checked leading up to applying to UCAS. In a way, the availability of placements/Internships is a strong indicator of the availability of graduate positions at least for their chosen fields, i know not all subjects lend to placements.

@Shimy Whst about dc of parents who cannot help? Most unis do not say the successful number of placements vs non successful. I know Bath is proactive in this field and students there are geared up. Is that where your DC were? Not many other unis are as proactive. They simply don’t have enough contacts or placements.

No, as my daughter is currently on a placement year doing an MENG course and did the foundation so 6 in total but its all one course - she has also just completed a year abroad at the same unis campus in Malaysia

Finding a placement was pretty straightforward for my DD only applied to two - her challenge was to interview etc from Malaysia with time difference. currently enjoying her placement before going back for her final year

I'd be surprised if most universities have the resources to help students secure industrial placements, apart from providing support with CV and cover letter writing, maybe practice interviews and circulating details of placements by email. DC (chemistry) and their housemate (comp sci), both in second year, have secured industrial placements for 2025 in the last couple of weeks. DC applied to around 10 companies in total and their housemate around 30 - both found it extremely time-consuming alongside academic work, and went through various stages of being rejected very quickly or doing multiple rounds of assessments and interviews, mostly online. Both decided that they wouldn't continue with applications if they hadn't been successful by the end of January.

There's no judgment on parents that cannot help, I'm not sure where you got that? I'm simply stating what my I had to do. Getting placements/internships is not easy. Many universities make it sound like it's a walk in the park, but it's far from that and many end up disappointed & having to convert to full-time.

I've said in the past that I would like to see universities publish numbers of students who applied for placements years v numbers who actually got offers, it would help greatly in choosing universities. At the moment there's a lot of guesswork. DS2's uni advertised 1 placement on their noticeboard and i think nearly the whole department applied for it, ds2's uni didn't advertise any to my knowledge but were more hands with practical help in getting one.

@Shimy It was more of a reflection that if it’s so difficult, how do dc with no parental input manage? Obviously the playing field is not level, which is a shame. I think the unis need far greater transparency and there’s a cavalier approach to this.

In terms of finding any job, interview coaching is not available at unis as far as I know. It’s certainly something some dc need!

Indeed, other than Bath I think there’s little to no help. DD has applied to 25 and has been told to apply for more but it is really time consuming and expensive especially when needing to travel for assessment days, miss days of uni, then catch up, as well as spend time prepping for each one. It’s a lot and the rejection after all the effort isn’t easy.

DS has just been offered a placement this week - his uni is quite proactive (not Bath) so there is help there - but I think besides the general help, you have to be proactive in seeking it out. As I posted earlier in the thread, the course has a mandatory year out, so its in their interests to help students - but besides the standard offering for everyone, DS has engaged with the careers service on a 1:1 basis that has been very good.

For some courses it's a bloody nightmare.

DD has to do 2x year long placements or she can't legally qualify. Nationally there's hardly any placements. Out of her cohort of 80 odd students she is one of less than 5 who got a placement. Most people she knows are working in warehouses, as cleaners, etc as they can't progress.

She will go back to uni for her next 2 years in Sept but after that 2 year uni block she will have the stress of having to get another placement or 5 years at uni will have been for nothing.

@DanielaDressen
What course is that? Sounds a nightmare

A quick Google shows that there is interview support via careers coaches at many universities. My perception is that universities have put a lot of resources into careers and employability. After all, it is what they are measured on.

Many/some students are not so good at asking for help or recognising what help is available through the different departments of student support. Even though it is probably screamed at them regularly through multiple channels.

Some unis better than others then. Lots of grads don’t interview well or dress appropriately.

Interview coaches for 10,000 students leaving some unis every year would surely be a challenge? I’m really not sure this is individual coaching. More general info.

Architecture. The universities have nothing to do with helping. It’s an odd course in that it’s 7 years training, so 3 year degree, placement year, 2 year masters,part 2 placement year and then I think professional registration (I’m a bit hazy on the last year). So you could technically argue the placement years aren’t anything to do with the degree/uni. I think it ought to be a bit better managed/supported but Dd has been lucky to get a placement so fingers crossed she’ll get a part 2 .

That is an odd course. Well done to your Dd on getting a placements but it's tough on the majority who don't, having already done three years in the hope of becoming an architect.

I’m a lecturer. My course puts on 1-1 mock interviews for all third years and we don’t even have a placement year. Also have a session on finding and applying for jobs.

I do feel we owe that to them after they’ve spent three years working hard on their degree but may have no clue about interviews.

@DanielaDressen Is that a vocational degree? I’m not sure MFL or English degrees do this.

Yes, in fairness it’s a healthcare degree. But we don’t have to do it. We could just let them do their degree, and say job done!

@DanielaDressen I think you will find vocational is more hands on. Not seen this available for many others in the way you describe. More careers advice.

Architects typically do a 1 year part 3 (final
yrar) and that’s with an employer. So 7 years from y1 undergrad to registration. Part 2 is a uni masters and that should not be an issue for most who are competent and want to become architects. It can be a precarious career at times though.

@DanielaDressen Brilliant that you do that. I'm sure it is appreciated.

Where are students looking for interview advice & assessment centre help?

@NotDonna The university's central careers service and, where available (more typically in management and engineering), the dedicated placement contact within their department are probably the best starting points for steers on practice.

U of York appears to have an overall career journey programme and York Award programme (see link below). Your DD may obviously already have that covered off. I can imagine the quality of stated help might vary a lot.

These days there is also quite a bit of advice and info online. If I remember, one of my DC found something that allowed them to practise giving those awkward 'one way' video answers (for a school leaver programme but, as you will be aware, the methodologies are identical).

It is tough and a question of holding one's nerve and ploughing on. Applying for some summer vacation schemes in parallel to full placement years might also help spread the bets. Also being willing to apply for less popular/less accessible locations will likely also increase chances, as well as broaden experiences and insight.

www.york.ac.uk/students/work-volunteering-careers/careers-resources/career-journey/