Placement Experience: Product Specialist - RingGo - Jesse Mutenyo

What motivated you to pursue an optional placement year?

To be completely honest, I wasn’t aware of the placement year being an option for me since I’m an international student. However, after finding out I was eligible for it, I made sure to subscribe to the placements email listings for jobs, CV help and all other support material. What mostly motivated me to pursue the placement year was my mentor from the IBM mentorship scheme, which I was involved in during my second year. He helped me in polishing my soft skills and also recommended a number of programs and resources to get involved in during my free time to polish my CV.

How many placement applications did you make? 

I applied to a number of companies before finally getting my offer at RingGo. The Placement team helped me a lot in recommending open roles that I’d be interested in and also reviewing my applications before I sent them in and giving me feedback on where to polish up. They also gave me advice on not letting the rejections weigh me down and instead keep pushing forward till the very end, to which I’m still highly grateful for.

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

The best thing to do is to never let the whole application process collide with your university studies, as it will eventually stress you out. I’d recommend dealing with applications during your buffer time, let's say a day you have no lectures. Take an hour or two out of your day to submit 1 to 3 applications a week, and keep going with your studies. Whenever in doubt or in need of help, the placement team is an email away from assisting you; exploit this help as it's so beneficial to you.

What were your main concerns about taking a placement year?

One of my main concerns was balancing academic and professional growth. I was worried about stepping away from academic life and potentially losing the momentum I had built during my studies. To address this, I set a goal to stay connected with academic resources during the year, such as being updated with the course material from my peers still at university. This approach kept me engaged and eased my transition back to university.

I was also worried about fitting into a professional working environment. Having never worked in a corporate setting before, I was uncertain about how well I would adapt to the workplace culture, communicate with colleagues, and meet professional expectations. I decided to stay proactive during my onboarding process, asking questions to clarify expectations and taking advantage of mentorship opportunities. Over time, I grew more confident and learned how to navigate professional interactions effectively

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

Adjusting to a new workplace environment was both exciting and challenging, but it turned out to be one of the most valuable aspects of my placement experience.

When I joined the company, I focused on absorbing as much as possible during the onboarding process. I took detailed notes during training sessions and reviewed documentation to familiarize myself with the tools, systems, and processes used in the workplace. My manager and team encouraged me to ask questions, which made it easier to clarify uncertainties early on. Balancing multiple tasks was also a new challenge, so I adopted tools like calendars, task management apps, and documentation templates to stay on top of my responsibilities. Keeping a checklist of daily tasks helped me remain productive and reduced the stress of adapting to a fast-paced environment.

Finally, I prioritized building friendships with my team and colleagues by actively participating in meetings, one-on-one introductions, and team-building activities. Asking for advice or feedback not only improved my skills but also showed my willingness to learn and contribute. Regularly communicating with my supervisor helped me stay aligned with expectations and goals.

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

My biggest challenge during my placement was my commute as I’d take the train from 6am from Portsmouth to Basingstoke so I’d make it in for work at 9am. I overcame this by discussing with my manager and we came to an agreement that I’d only do two days of my choice in the office and the other three days working from home. Also, a word of advice going forward: I’d recommend getting accommodation near the office you’d be working at as this would definitely make life easier.

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

There’s quite a number but the two parts I’d pick was firstly when I was chosen to train a new colleague just after being in the company for three months on a new software system we were migrating to because I’d grasped it quickly as it was very similar to something I’d done in my second year.

The second most rewarding part was being chosen to take part in a project which had a high impact on the business as a whole and being given the chance to have a leading role in it as well. This really brought me to a realisation that I was trusted professionally, and I had actually overachieved as they usually wouldn’t assign an intern to take part in it.

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

Yes, it most definitely has. I got a chance to shadow other colleagues in other tech departments and was mostly impressed by the Data Science/Analyst roles in the business. My primary career path right now after university would be to pursue a role in Data science.

Would you recommend the placement year to other students?

Yes, most definitely. On top of developing your professional and technical skills, you get a feel of the social environment in a workspace, and this improves the way you carry yourself in social spaces. My time during my placement also polished my soft skills like time management and planning, which I’ve carried over into my final year and have made my activities run smoothly.

Being on placement is also such a great opportunity to build friendships and network with other professionals, as this is so beneficial in the long run, especially after university. I, personally, am still in touch with my colleagues from RingGo, and I can’t stress enough how much it is such a plus for me.

So, my word of advice would be to keep applying to companies and don’t let the rejections demotivate you but instead learn from it and apply to the next, just keep pushing and also have a proactive mindset. I’d also recommend volunteering, attending insight days and other co-curricular activities as this definitely helps through the process.