Placements and work experience

What is a placement?
Also referred to as a placement-year, sandwich-year, work-placement or year in industry. For many subject areas a placement is an integrated part of your degree, entirely optional, but strongly encouraged. Taking place after your second year of study, you’ll work for a company/organisation for six to twelve months (depending on your degree). Once complete you return for your final year of study, with a whole year of work experience to add to your CV.

Why do a Placement?
In addition to providing you with an opportunity to apply your subject knowledge and technical skills in a professional environment, a placement also provides an invaluable insight into organisational communication, culture, professional workplace behaviours, applied skills and working relationships. Placement students also feedback how incredibly valuable the experience has been in increasing self-confidence and encouraging reflective practice, while also developing many ‘missing skills’ that employers look for in graduates. 

Benefits of a placement

• Enhanced employment prospects – many students go back to their placement provider at the graduate level
• Improved skills and knowledge, including ‘softer’ employability skills, and specific technical skills and competencies
• Increased understanding and awareness of the world of work, ability to articulate skills and achievements and self-awareness
• Broaden your network of professional contacts.

Who can do a placement?
Many courses provide the option of a placement. Before looking for opportunities check your programme specification or speak to your personal tutor to find out whether an optional placement year is available to you. If your course doesn't offer a placement or work-based learning, the Careers Service can explore other work experience options with you.

To complete a University recognised optional placement year there is a reduced tuition fee which will not exceed 20% of the standard annual University tuition fee for the academic year you complete your placement. 

For more detail on this and the services/resources available to you whilst on a placement, please go to our dedicated tuition fees for optional placement years page.

Overseas Placements

You may be able to complete your placement overseas. An overseas placement can add to the professional skills you will develop within the workplace and give you a wider international perspective that is valued by employers.

Examples of recent international placements secured by our students from a range of subjects include:

• Placement Geophysical Surveyor Land/Water, ADEDE, Belgium (student studying BSc Ocean Exploration and Surveying)
• Research Assistant, Marine and Environment Research Lab (MER), Cyprus (student studying BSc Marine Biology)
• Ports & Maritime Placement, Jacobs, Dubai (student studying BEng Civil Engineering)
• Zora Bots, Robotics Intern, Belgium (student studying MEng Robotics)
• Games Designer, Netherlands (student studying BSc Computing and Games Development)
• MTU Rolls Royce Power Systems, Germany (student studying BEng Mechanical Engineering)
• Marketing and Sales Intern, BASF , Netherlands (student studying BA International Business)
• Intern Operations, Morgan Stanley, Frankfurt (student studying BA Hons International Business)
• PR & HR Intern, Nepal Realistic Solutions, Kathmandu – Nepal (student studying BA Hons International Business)

Top tips and key points to consider:

• Make yourself known to your allocated Placement Advisor and start the process of looking for the overseas placement early, ideally at the beginning of semester 1.
• There can be more to consider and work through, such as a visa, travel and accommodation arrangements and sourcing the opportunity, so being proactive with the process is important.
• Stay organised with the process – log which organisations you have approached and your progress with the application and travel arrangements.

What is an internship?
An internship is traditionally shorter in length than a placement-year, with some lasting two weeks, and others 3-6 months. Internships are a great way to gain experience in a working environment that relates to your field of study, as well as build upon the theory you have learned at University and you’ll gain practical skills and knowledge that will boost your overall employability prospects. 

Benefits of an internship: 

• Improves your range employability skills
• Flexibility – often internships can be completed during the holiday periods or on a part-time basis around your studies
• Network with professionals in your field of study – an internship could lead to future employment
• Gain valuable work experience to put on your CV and boost future applications.

Find out more about the internship support available to you

Working part-time is an excellent way to gain valuable work experience around your studies, whilst earning some money.

Part-time work can be in a setting relevant to your degree subject but often is more informal and flexible. Whilst part-time work, in many cases, is more casual, don’t underestimate its benefit to you and your CV. Employers like to see that you have been employed, it shows you are therefore ‘employable’ and you will still gain important experience. It’s also a good CV builder which is important when applying for graduate opportunities. 

If you are looking for a part-time job on campus or in the local area visit myCareer, sign in using your University login and search for opportunities today. For more information visit our looking for work page.

Becoming a Student Ambassador can be a great way to gain some part-time work experience whilst at University. Once you’ve passed a recruitment process you are part of a dedicated and professional team, supporting a variety of departments across the University at open, applicant and interview days and other events.

• Central Student Ambassadors undertake activities on open days such as guest registration or campus tours.
• Subject-Specific Student Ambassadors talk about their course in more depth.

The careers service recruit Student Ambassadors from across the full range of courses and from diverse backgrounds and experiences. It’s a great team to be part of! 

Find out more about becoming a Student Ambassador

You can also gain experience and insight into your chosen profession via different mentoring programmes run by the University. When joining the Professional Mentoring Programme, run from the Careers Service, you’ll be allocated with a mentor for six months, giving you the opportunity to ask various questions about their career journey, industry/sector knowledge, recruitment related top tips, and more.

Find out more about our different mentoring programmes

An ‘extracurricular activity’ is something you participate in outside of your studies. There are many ways you can do this at University and all will provide you with the opportunity to develop soft skills and experience favoured by employers.

Examples include, joining a club and/or society with a role to play on the committee, or, being a course rep for your year group. Find out what clubs and societies are available for you to join.

The Careers Service also run a number of events for you, such as, the FLUX competition and the creative CV competition. All geared around providing you with a platform to push some comfort barriers, as you would in the real world once you graduate.

Volunteering with the SU
Volunteering is a fun and flexible way to gain valuable experience, to develop your skillset whilst making a positive impact and giving back to the community. It also says a lot about you as an individual and can be an interesting talking point when in future job interviews. The University of Plymouth SU collaborates with charities and organisations so that you can be more than just your degree and develop so much more.

For information visit https://www.upsu.com/volunteer/

Work Based Learning (WBL)
WBL is like mini placement where you gain work experience over one module during your normal studies, with some credit attached. Different courses have work-based learning modules in different years, so ask your lecturer or personal tutor if this is an option that is available to you. Remember, if WBL learning is not part of your degree then speak with the Careers Service about an internship or placement.

Research shows that students who study abroad during their degree are more likely to get a job and earn more when they graduate.
(UK HE International Unit, 2019. Gone International: rising aspirations. Universities UK)

For further information on what is available to you, read about exchange opportunities for Plymouth students.