Placements and work experience
Your career starts now

Graduating from University may seem far away, but it will come around quickly. When that time comes you are then potentially competing with various other graduates for the same opportunities. More than ever before employers are seeking individuals with actual ‘work experience’ on their CV and so by gaining what you can, whilst at University, can really help you stand out from the crowd.
Work experience can be gained from bite size, short experiences, or, spread out over an academic cycle. Examples include part time work, volunteering, a placement-year, internship and extra-curricular activities, either as part of your degree programme or completely optional.
Typically, in a work setting you are developing ‘employability’ skills, perhaps without even realising it. For example, teamwork, communication, time keeping, working to deadlines, resilience, creativity and adaptability. Graduate recruiters proactively seek evidence of these skills in your future job applications and that’s why work experience is so important.
Here at the Plymouth, via your own dedicated Careers Service and other departments, we provide you with a number of opportunities to gain some work experience and this page will walk you through all the options available. We are here to help, but only you can make gaining work experience happen.
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
Contact your placements team
Our team are here to support you throughout your placement. You can contact us on placements@plymouth.ac.uk or +44 1752 586007. You can also book an appointment via myCareer.
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:
Micro-internships
Micro-internships are a new and increasingly popular programme available to undergraduates and finalist students, with three cycles a year – winter, spring and summer. These are bite-size, voluntary experiences lasting up to two weeks. Typically, the micro-internships provide students with a focused project or several agreed tasks with a department internal to the University or an external business. A micro-internship helps students enhance their CV and employability skills before embarking on a placement-year or prior to entering the graduate market.
How do I get involved with micro-internships?
Summer Internships
A summer internship (also referred to as a summer placement) has all the benefits of a shorter internship, and more, as these can last between one and three months.
An increasing number of students and employers are seeking/offering these opportunities each year because a lot can be achieved over a summer experience. Also, as great as a placement-year can be, it’s not necessarily possible for everyone, but if you did three summer internships whilst at University you could be graduating with up to nine months of work experience on your CV. Perhaps with the same company or three separate ones, which is very appealing to employers at the graduate level.
Where to look?
The Careers Service advertise summer internships via myCareer, so check this regularly for new opportunities.
Other recommended platforms include:
Graduate level – STEM Graduates into Business
The STEM Graduates into Business project aims to connect
recent university graduates with small businesses in Devon to
undertake internships lasting 6 to 12 months in roles related to
Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics. Working with an
SME (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise) has many benefits
including opportunities to work on key projects from the start, the
potential of being given responsibility from an early stage and exposure to
cutting-edge innovations and new-to-market products. All opportunities
are paid and a great way to secure relevant industry experience in your chosen
sector post-graduation, also many of the businesses we are working with
are keen to offer a permanent position for the right candidate.
You can register your interest now to hear about future opportunities or search our current live vacancies here.
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.
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 (SU LINK).
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.
Hear from recent graduates and current employers on how to stand out as a candidate when looking for a placement or graduate role.
"Go the extra mile. Look for placements even if it’s voluntary or just for a few weeks, it will benefit you in the long term. The more things you can put on your CV the more you stand out."
"Soft skills are the primary differentiating factor between one candidate and another. The ability to articulate clearly and confidently in an interview is important."
If you are an international student who is considering the optional placement year, there are a number of extra things to consider.
International Student Advice can help you work out if it is a viable option for you.
Our advice for international students.
Monday to Thursday from 8:30–17:00 Friday 09:30–16:30