Getting a Uni placement, how does it all work?
Discussion
Interested to know more.. not having been to Uni myself, how do these work placements get offered? My son has been applying for months now and some of his friends have applied to over 50 companies. It seems to involve on line tests, leading to more on line tests in the hope you get offered an interview, in the hope of getting a placement?
What I'm interested to know (and I can't seem to get a straight answer from my son) is, after completing the tests when do these companies make their offer of an interview? Do they offer as and when they find someone they want or are they waiting until they have a big list of candidates? Also if an outstanding candidate has applied to 50 companies and gets multiple offers do the companies then re-offer to the next person on their list? Is it massive scramble towards the end? and what happens if a student accepts an offer and then gets a better offer, do they just accept the better offer and leave the previous offer for someone else?
I'm just interested to know, he seems to be spending a lot of time on this. Thanks.
What I'm interested to know (and I can't seem to get a straight answer from my son) is, after completing the tests when do these companies make their offer of an interview? Do they offer as and when they find someone they want or are they waiting until they have a big list of candidates? Also if an outstanding candidate has applied to 50 companies and gets multiple offers do the companies then re-offer to the next person on their list? Is it massive scramble towards the end? and what happens if a student accepts an offer and then gets a better offer, do they just accept the better offer and leave the previous offer for someone else?
I'm just interested to know, he seems to be spending a lot of time on this. Thanks.
Is this for a placement on a sandwich course or a full time job? For example I did B.Eng Electronic Engineering at Surrey Uni, the course was 2 years study, 1 year industrial placement, 1 final year of study.
At Surrey they had a small team of people whose specific job it was to find you a placement. As I done a bit of work during the holidays for Exxon Mobil in the oil refinery where my Dad worked they had it in their heads that I wanted a career in the petrochemical industry though in all honesty I hadn't really made up my mind at that time. Got sent for an interview with Exxon and got turned down despite the glowing references from the manager I'd worked for previously, seems like HR didn't like me for some reason or another. Another interview with BP at some chemical plant in Port Talbot, multiple candidates at this one, didn't get it. Another interview at Rank Hovis McDougal, didn't get that one either although the other student I went there with did and from what he told me a year later I'd had a luck escape. Final interview was with a small company specialising in communications equipment mostly for the defence industry but with some commercial work also. Completely different interview, got bombarded with a load of technical questions, almost like an exam, it was only because I had to wait for a taxi to arrive to take me back to the station that they started asking a bit more about me rather that what I was capable of. Anyway I got the job, and it probably the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me as the communications industry boomed shortly after that and they offered me a job at the end of my degree.
At Surrey they had a small team of people whose specific job it was to find you a placement. As I done a bit of work during the holidays for Exxon Mobil in the oil refinery where my Dad worked they had it in their heads that I wanted a career in the petrochemical industry though in all honesty I hadn't really made up my mind at that time. Got sent for an interview with Exxon and got turned down despite the glowing references from the manager I'd worked for previously, seems like HR didn't like me for some reason or another. Another interview with BP at some chemical plant in Port Talbot, multiple candidates at this one, didn't get it. Another interview at Rank Hovis McDougal, didn't get that one either although the other student I went there with did and from what he told me a year later I'd had a luck escape. Final interview was with a small company specialising in communications equipment mostly for the defence industry but with some commercial work also. Completely different interview, got bombarded with a load of technical questions, almost like an exam, it was only because I had to wait for a taxi to arrive to take me back to the station that they started asking a bit more about me rather that what I was capable of. Anyway I got the job, and it probably the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me as the communications industry boomed shortly after that and they offered me a job at the end of my degree.
The process to select a student applicant is different to professional applicants, since students mostly have no previous experience. The selection is made by soft facts, such as engagement in extracurricular activities (sports/arts/volunteer work/...). So, in order to stand out in masses of applications, unique content in the application is required.
I've once got asked by my workplaces' apprentice/student/training coordinator if I need support from a second year student for a couple of months. He sent seven profiles that barely contained something useful to judge from - so I asked him to send the loudest of them all.
The placement is an important bit in the career. Companies use it to get some support on projects that normally wouldn't be done by core staff, and they get to know a potential new hire. This is imo the best selection process a graduate can have before they graduate.
At the same time, the student can go and see into a potential line of work. After a few months they have seen one or more fields, and can easier make out where they want to start.
For example, I studied design, but my three student jobs where engineering research, engineering and marketing. I ended up in engineering, which I don't regret at all.
It seemed to be easier to find student work in Germany ten years ago. First job was at uni, and I called the scientific assistant and invited myself for an interview. Got the job after talking 20 minutes. For the second job, I found the phone number from a designer in a company who did a student design contest every two years. First price was a paid six-months placement in the design department. I asked for a paid summer job, got called back the next day, and was offered one in engineering. Contract discussed on the phone, and sent by HR a couple of days later.
That job was then extended until I started my official placement semester. This one was tougher. I made many applications in design, but did get no positive response. I was frustrated, and thought I started searching too late. I immediately thought to get a good topic and industry support for my final exam, that I'd start applying now - six months earlier. Found an interesting topic with no start date and applied. Phone rings, lady tells me my start date is too late, the project starts beginning next month. One week later got a contract for a placement semester, which I started three weeks later, just in time to start graduating directly after.
My advice for everyone looking for a good job: don't be afraid of failing! Take nothing personal, and keep looking, connect with people, follow routes that don't appear interesting at first sight, but look into them closely. My best past opportunities were coincidences/unplanned.
I've once got asked by my workplaces' apprentice/student/training coordinator if I need support from a second year student for a couple of months. He sent seven profiles that barely contained something useful to judge from - so I asked him to send the loudest of them all.
The placement is an important bit in the career. Companies use it to get some support on projects that normally wouldn't be done by core staff, and they get to know a potential new hire. This is imo the best selection process a graduate can have before they graduate.
At the same time, the student can go and see into a potential line of work. After a few months they have seen one or more fields, and can easier make out where they want to start.
For example, I studied design, but my three student jobs where engineering research, engineering and marketing. I ended up in engineering, which I don't regret at all.
It seemed to be easier to find student work in Germany ten years ago. First job was at uni, and I called the scientific assistant and invited myself for an interview. Got the job after talking 20 minutes. For the second job, I found the phone number from a designer in a company who did a student design contest every two years. First price was a paid six-months placement in the design department. I asked for a paid summer job, got called back the next day, and was offered one in engineering. Contract discussed on the phone, and sent by HR a couple of days later.
That job was then extended until I started my official placement semester. This one was tougher. I made many applications in design, but did get no positive response. I was frustrated, and thought I started searching too late. I immediately thought to get a good topic and industry support for my final exam, that I'd start applying now - six months earlier. Found an interesting topic with no start date and applied. Phone rings, lady tells me my start date is too late, the project starts beginning next month. One week later got a contract for a placement semester, which I started three weeks later, just in time to start graduating directly after.
My advice for everyone looking for a good job: don't be afraid of failing! Take nothing personal, and keep looking, connect with people, follow routes that don't appear interesting at first sight, but look into them closely. My best past opportunities were coincidences/unplanned.
Edited by Bodo on Wednesday 9th March 12:32
I got my placement after about 4 applications and 2 interviews.
However some of my friends (with less motivation and lower module results plus a lack of knowledge) took significantly longer / more applications. I had mine sorted around February time, whereas most of my friends took until June/July.
I had the interview with my manager around 1pm, finished 1.30pm. I walked back to my flat by about 2.10pm and had a phone call at 2.15pm saying that I had the position. However all companies will be different. One of my friends had to attend an assessment day.
However some of my friends (with less motivation and lower module results plus a lack of knowledge) took significantly longer / more applications. I had mine sorted around February time, whereas most of my friends took until June/July.
I had the interview with my manager around 1pm, finished 1.30pm. I walked back to my flat by about 2.10pm and had a phone call at 2.15pm saying that I had the position. However all companies will be different. One of my friends had to attend an assessment day.
My youngest, of three, went through this process a couple of years ago. It seems that some universities must have good relationships/reputations with large employers. My daughter applied to four big employers in our area and got to first stage with all of them. This being a telephone interview. She ended up having final panel with two of the companies that had assessment days for the entire batch of applicants. She was offered a role with her first choice on the day of the assessment. Interestingly about half a dozen joined this employer from her uni. The company takes on about 60 placements a year. I think there is some logic in sourcing from a select group of universities in that it makes the transition easier. For example the other students from her uni shared a house during the placement year so none of them were complete strangers when they started.
Hi Quarterly. In my experience placements are similar (often the same as) to graduate assessment processes.
1/ Application
2/ Psychometric tests (online)
3/ Phone interview
4/ Assessment centre, generally a day - may be half day for placement rather than full graduate position
Generally applications are in by January - February with offers in March for a September start.
If people bail they'll offer jobs 'down' the list if they're working to a quota. Otherwise they'll take whoever they deem is good enough.
They're not rocket science and there's definitely a technique to getting through each stage. Much of it is repeatable between companies.
1/ Application
2/ Psychometric tests (online)
3/ Phone interview
4/ Assessment centre, generally a day - may be half day for placement rather than full graduate position
Generally applications are in by January - February with offers in March for a September start.
If people bail they'll offer jobs 'down' the list if they're working to a quota. Otherwise they'll take whoever they deem is good enough.
They're not rocket science and there's definitely a technique to getting through each stage. Much of it is repeatable between companies.
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