18/04/23 © The University of Sheffield Careers Service

www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers

DEGREE WITH EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

W Taking a placement year as part of your

degree

The Careers Service

Helen Thorpe

www.sheffield.ac.uk/placements

CONTENT

• Why do a placement?

• What it involves

• Where to look for a placement

• Placement search using myVacancies

• Application forms

• What are employers looking for?

• Support available from the Careers Service

• “My time at Enterprise Rent-A-Car” – Abigail Leach, Placement Student

• One third of graduate positions will be filled by graduates who already worked for the organisation through a placement year or summer internship

• Graduates who have no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful in the graduate recruitment process

• Record Number of Placement Vacancies in 2012/13

• *High flyers Research Graduate Market 2013

BENEFITS OF DOING A PLACEMENT YEAR

A PLACEMENT YEAR CAN HELP YOU ....

• Develop key skills such as team work, communication, time management, leadership which will make you more employable

• Test out what you want to do when you graduate

• Get offered a graduate job!

• Financially – majority of placements are paid

• Get ideas for your dissertation

• Opportunity to develop practical skills to help you succeed in your future career

• Apply the theory you have learned in your degree and see the results

• Return to University in your final year with improve focus

THE PRACTICALITIES• Start applying for

placements in your second year

• Transfer onto the Year in Industry WHEN you have been offered a placement

• Supported by the University throughout the placement application process & during your placement

• Students can work overseas

• Pass/Fail Basis

• Fees - £1125 or zero if your placement is unpaid

• Overseas students - 21%

• You can apply for a student loan

• Placement is assessed – 1 x placement reports, skills analysis, journal

• Visited by your tutor

• Remain a fully registered student for placement year

Once you have secured a placement ....

• Complete a change of status form and get it signed by your department http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/forms

• Provide a job description so dept can assess suitability

• Complete contact details form:-

www.shef.ac.uk/placements/students/duringplacement

• Return both forms to Helen Thorpe, Careers Service

• Pre placement briefing in April May/2014

Networking – Friends and family

Social Media – Linked In/Face-book Speculative Approach

Trade Publications – “New Scientist”

Professional Bodies – “Institute of Mechanical Engineers” Direct to Company

Website

FINDING A PLACEMENT ...

Placement and Recruitment Fairswww.sheffieldcareersfairs.ac.uk

All vacancies – including international and ERASMUS: http://shef.ac.uk/careers/students/jobs

Recruitment Websiteswww.ratemyplacement.co.ukwww.gradcracker.co.uk – science/it/engTargetjobs www.targetjobs.co.uk

International Placements www.europlacement.comwww.eurobrussels.comwww.aiesec.ortgGoingglobal.comwww.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/employmentoverseas

Pre-register

The Careers Service.

at http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers/students/jobs or via the link on the Careers tab in MUSE.

Announcements are shown here, including news about employers and vacancies

NEW REGISTRATIONS BY 29/11/13 COULD WIN AN IPAD MINI!

Search work experience/placements

Search on type of work

You can also search employers by Type of Work offered

SET UP EMAIL ALERT

Application forms – next steps• Most Placement schemes are open

now

• Some Placement schemes close in October, others end of November/December

• 80 Placement Students out from UoS in 2013/14 – there could be more!!

Preparation is the key to success

• Research the company / opportunity

• What does the job involve?

• Why do you want this job?

• Why do you want to work for this particular employer?

• What are the competencies the employer is looking for?

• Analyse job descriptions, person specifications

• Read website

• News stories

• Read the profiles of graduate recruits

• Check careers service web pages

• Talk to company reps at recruitment fairs/employer events

18/04/23

Application forms – what to expect• Usually on-line, but can be paper based

• May ask for CV but application form often instead of CV

• Structured – boxes to complete, word / character limits

• Others more ‘open space’ for free text

• May be a time limit for completion

• May seem daunting – to ‘weed out’ the faint-hearted!

• Fair – easier to compare candidates

• Application won’t get you the job – just to the next stage

Employer requirements...SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Common sense

• Analytical problem

solving

• Interpersonal

• Communication

• Team work

• Leadership

• Negotiation

• Autonomy

• Customer relationships

• Commercial awareness

• Time management

• Organisation skills

• Project management

• IT

Each competency/skill may have a series of behaviours

Employer requirements...SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

GSK – “high performance behaviours”

• Achieving excellence: enable and drive change, continuous improvement, customer focus.

• Engaging and developing others:

building relationships, developing people, teamwork.

• Innovative thinking: information search (ie gathering information from a range of sources before making a decision), creating business solutions, flexible thinking.

• Leading people: influence, building confidence, communication.

18

Deloitte

• Communication

• Commercial Awareness

• Planning and organisation skills

• Adaptability

• Problem Solving

Employer requirements...SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Research the job role and the company

Know what they are looking for

Understand what they mean!

Prepare your evidence to show you have what they want

Selection process designed to assess these competences• WRITE about them on application form• TALK about them at interview• TESTED at psychometric test• DEMONSTRATE them at assessment centre

18/04/23 © The University of Sheffield Careers Service

Application forms - summary• First impressions count – check spellings!

• Follow the instructions

• Complete all sections (“we wouldn’t ask if we didn’t want to know!”)

• Do not cut and paste – tailor to the company you are applying to

• Always use the company/job requirements/competencies

• Understand the question we’re asking (Leadership vs. Teamwork)

• Give specific examples as evidence

• Draw experience from all parts of your life

• Give yourself plenty of time

The Careers Service.

DON’T FORGET CHECK YOUR EMAILS!

READ YOUR EMAILS ..

The Careers Service.

18/04/23 © The University of Sheffield Careers Service

www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers

Support available to help you secure your placement:

ENGINEERING STUDENTS EVERY THURSDAY 12.30-1.30PM in IPO ORANGE ROOM, MAPPIN BUILDING

ECONOMICS STUDENTS EVERY THURSDAY 3-4PM, ROOM 225, ECONOMICS BUILDING

www.shef.ac.uk/placements/

students

Placement Drop in SessionsEvery Tuesday throughout Semester 1 starting from 15th October 12-

2.00pm in the Careers Service, No appointment necessary

ALL PLACEMENT VACANCIES ARE ADVERTISED HERE:-http://shef.ac.uk/careers/students/jobs

DETAILS OF PRESENTATION CAN BE FOUND HERE

www.shef.ac.uk.placements/students

18/04/23 © The University of Sheffield Careers Service

www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers

Careers Service - 388 Glossop Road (behind Student Union,Open 9am - 5pm Mon to Fri (11am – 5pm Tues)

Thanks for listening

Any questions?