Placement year or Masters degree?

[Krakatoa]

Just thought I would present a current dilemma to the collective masses of PH to see what suggestions come up!

Currently second year student at University studying a Business degree at one of the best reputed institutions in the country. As part of the degree is an optional placement year, which is appealing due to the valuable experience I would gain and the increased employability which subsequently comes with that.

However I am not having much luck with job applications, despite spending many hours tailoring numerous applications to suit the roles. In terms of work experience I have had 2 previous jobs with one being for 2 years during college. In terms of academic progress I am predicted a first class/2.1 honours by my university. I have also had great 2nd year results so far.

So far I have only had one interview (a group interview which was not progressed) from applying to over 30 different roles, and with each application taking up valuable time that could be put towards work for my degree, I am beginning to question whether I should carry on.

In terms of application weakness the main downfall I can see is that my A-levels are not that great, but I had some of the best gcse's in my school and am in the top 10% of the university for results currently.

An alternative I am considering is to complete a 1 year masters after my BSc, which appeals to me due to the long term career advantages it could provide.

So, is the placement year really worth it? I would love to do a placement (on the premise the role is right for me - truth be told I don't find that many of the placement jobs very interesting) and I can see the short term employment advantages but would it be a more efficient long term use of a year to finish my BSc faster and progress to a masters?

If it makes any difference, I still have no real idea what career path I want to follow after university and as such very open to ideas!

[xr287]

Go for the placement everytime. Experience and the skills you will learn will be worth so much more on your cv and in what you are able to use to explain to future interviewers why they should hire you than an extra academic qualification.

[Engineer1]

Get a placement if you can as do well and your first job has already been found. Check if there is the possibility of going onto the Masters if you can't find a placement.

[shirt]

is there a possibility of switching to a 4yr straight thru masters (i.e. you never graduate with the bsc) that includes a work placement? this is common in engineering, not sure about other subjects.

alternatively, look at a 2yr masters from a foreign uni. these usually include work experience or have sufficient space around. lectures to work part time. for example, delft university (nr rotterdam, great reputation) teach all masters courses in english and their fees are only 1600euros per annum.

in the current climate, you could use all the practical experience you can get.

[wiffmaster]

I'm just about to graduate this year. Of the people I know who've already secured decent jobs paying £30/40K, not a single one has required anything higher than a 2.1. However, all have required relevant work experience. Make of that what you will, but I'd take the placement year every time - it will be invaluable when you come to apply for the graduate schemes towards the end of final year.

I'm in the process of filling in graduate scheme applications at the moment. Seemingly, the thing they're most interested in is the way you answer the competency based questions and the relevant work experience you have. If you've got a 2.1 or higher from a quality institution, you pretty much tick their 'academics' check box and they then move on to assessing you in other areas (phone interview, work experience, assessment day, etc).

Some companies seemingly auto-filter the applications by things such as A-level grades. To my mind, this is rather short sighted. I know people who've got a distinctly average BBB at A-level, but who've then graduated with a 1st class in very academic subjects. You just need to keep applying and eventually you'll get an interview. My interviews thus far have come from companies who I've least expected to be interested in me. The companies who I expected would be keen to interview me (big pharma - Biology degree and relevant work experience) have declined to do so.

So, get the work experience and apply for schemes/placements in sectors you think may not necessarily be interested in you - you might be surprised!

Edited by wiffmaster on Monday 7th March 23:02

[Flibble]

Definitely take the placement year. Grads are a dime a dozen, experience is what counts.

[rog007]

To differentiate, do both. If you're smart and ambitious, don't do what everyone else is doing, stretch yourself on a placement at the same time as studying for a Masters part-time; it will certainly pay off when you're then ahead of the crowd. Who dares wins! Good luck!

[Simbu]

Definitely the placement IMO. Experience is EVERYTHING when you're applying for jobs along side the thousands of other graduates who are all vying for the same jobs. It will set you apart in a better way than a Masters (which might actually risk pigeon-holing you into a niche area of work).

Also, don't get hung up on placement salaries if you look for a placement. I worked for a multinational IT / engineering company on my placement which paid pitifully, but the name on my CV was a worthwhile investment.

Good luck

[rhinochopig]

Depends on the quality of the placement. An MSc is now almost the mandatory requirement for a lot of jobs. Some MSc do an industrial project anyway, so my advice would be an MSc with an ind placement - unless the BSc placement was somewhere that gave you invaluable experience or a strong chance of a dream job.

It also depends on where your 1st degree will come from. A Russel Group degree is held, by some, to be a match for a masters from a micky mouse Uni. So if you're at a crap uni go for the MSc.

[torqueofthedevil]

Experience every time. I have a business studies degree and although it opened doors (I did a placement year) it is undoubtedly that years placement that got my career going. Since working I've never really met anyone bothered about academic qualifications, so long as you can do your job...

Im currently doing a distance learning MSc so u always have that option.

Defo get the placement, mine suddenly just came along. Graduate. Work hard then look at further education. I have plenty of mates who "can't find a job" and although they are intelligent they have just spent the last 10 years travelling and doing masters and never getting a career going

[hyperblue]

Having done an MSc with no placement, I would definitely recommend doing one! Would've been a lot easier for me to get a job at the end of it.

I got my job within a couple of weeks of graduating, but I'm certain I'd have had a job lined up well before that if I'd had a little more experience.