Placement Experience: Junior Press Officer - TopCashback Ltd - Rhianna David

What motivated you to pursue an optional placement year?

My motivation was opting to pursue a placement year was to essentially figure out whether I could handle the dynamics of a corporate job. With both of my parents working corporate jobs, I wanted to experience myself what the work culture and environment would be like, in term of how work-life balance would look like and working a standard 9-5 job. I also felt that having a year experience in a job role would benefit me for future job opportunities.

Can you describe the process of applying for placement roles? E.g. how many you applied to, if you had a system or sought support from anyone. 

In total, I applied to roughly 30 placements. To keep on track and organise the placement roles I had applied to, I created an Excel spreadsheet. I created columns of the location of the placement, a summary of the role, what I had to do for the interview process. I then had a tab tracking the placements I had been accepted for a first round interview, ones where I hadn’t heard back from/had been rejected to.

What were your main concerns or uncertainties about taking a placement year, and how did you address them?

My main uncertainties about taking a placement were being away from all the friends I had made during first and second year as they would then be graduating without me. What helped was that I also had a few friends who were also interested in doing a placement, but even if I didn’t – I also realised I shouldn’t let the fact that I wouldn’t be with some of my friends for a year stop me in advancing in career and that you can ALWAYS make new friends.
 

There was also the chance that I would take a placement where I would be either away from Portsmouth or home (London), which did seem quite daunting. Luckily, I did manage to secure a placement in central London, but before I had secured my current placement I was looking at some opportunities in Manchester, where I had joined a few Facebook groups with people in the same situation as me which eased my fears.

What tips would you give to students about balancing placement applications with university studies?

Creating a system is best to not feel overwhelmed. Dedicating an afternoon or two every week to just looking at placements or working on your CV helps, allowing you to focus. It can also help to work on your applications in a different environment to where you study, so if you are one to go study in the library, then dedicate your room desk or a coffee for your placement applications.

How did you adjust to a new workplace environment, and what resources or support helped you during this transition?

I’m very lucky to work in such a positive work environment where everyone was very easy to make friends with, making it easy for me adjust to my role. In my first 3 months of my placement, I also had regular 1:1s with my boss to help me transition into my role. I also started to make a make (and did my best to) stick to a new routine before and after work to get me into a new routine to get into a flow of the working week. I also made it a point to not thinking about work related things after work, to then allow myself to have a proper break from my job allowing me to unwind and avoid burnout.

What challenges have you faced during your placement, and how have you overcome them?

I personally struggled with my newfound busyness, as I could no longer be as spontaneous with friends as I could be with at university. It was hard to find a time where I wasn’t at work and where my friends were also free, as majority of my friends were in 3^rd year and busy with coursework. With some advice from my boss from her personal experience, I started to use my annual leave strategically to arrange meet-ups with friends and organised weekly/fortnightly calls with friends to help keep in touch.

What has been the most rewarding part of your placement so far, and why?

The most rewarding part of my placement is my confidence. This year has made me felt self-assured; that I can work under pressure and adjust to different circumstances so much that my boss trusts me to handle certain tasks independently. Its also been rewarding to see that the risk of putting myself out there and applying for various placements has paid off – where branching out of my comfort zone has allowed me have such an exciting  year!

Has your placement experience influence your perspective on your chosen career path or field of study?

Yes, my placement has definitely influenced my future career path, where a year’s experience in public relations has reinforced the idea that public affairs could be a potential avenue I could explore. I was fortunate enough to shadow an agency PR firm, where I was given the opportunity to talk to their PA rep, showing me how I could merge my knowledge of PR and politics together.

Would you recommend the placement year option to other students? If so, what advice would you give them?

Definitely! My one piece of advice would be to not give up – having multiple rejections can be disheartening but taking on feedback for places that have rejected you will only make you better in the long run. Also, don’t limit your search, why not looking on Linkedln, Indeed or other job-hiring sites, where they often have intern listings. It also doesn’t hurt to talk to your tutors/lectures to see if they have any mutual connections for firms who are hiring, and the same thing applies for your family and friends.