Right now I am sitting on a bus surrounded by people who are equally as disappointed in the Wi-Fi service as I am. Let’s hope inspiration really does strike in unlikely places.
I’m travelling towards a placement interview and so excitement (and nerves) are running high. For a career in PR, work experience is essential and so degrees that offer placement years are a must. However, trying to find experience can be a gruelling process and a lot of people have the same opinion of trying to find placement.
I know that I’m definitely not the only one starting to feel the pressures of finding a placement so this post is focused on little tips that may help you if you’re anything like me. Keeping on top of what you’ve already done and trying to find the best placement for you can be difficult. Here are just a few tips that I’ve found useful that may help you calm those frayed nerves!
KEEP A LIST
This may sound simple and tiresome but I can’t stress how helpful it is to keep a list of placements that you have applied for. Even a simple notebook with a list of placements you’ve applied for and the dates you’ve applied can be really useful when you start to feel overwhelmed or have those worrying thoughts like “Should I have heard back by now?” If you keep a note of the closing dates of these placements, you’ll have a better idea of when you should get a response.
COMPANIES HAVE BLOGS TOO
A great way to find out more about a company before you apply for their placement or even to prepare if you’ve been offered an interview is to check whether they have a blog. Lots of companies nowadays have blogs run by employees, graduates or even current placement students detailing what their role is and a bit more on the company culture. For example, Unilever run a great blog that includes posts from placement students! A resource like this can really help you decide whether or not a placement is the right fit.
SEARCH ALL AVENUES
Most universities have an online resource that you can use to find placements that suit you. While this is a great tool it shouldn’t be the only one you use. Websites like www.ratemyplacement.com and www.glassdoor.co.uk can also be useful in finding possible placement opportunities. They usually also include a review service so you can see immediately how others have fared with this position.
DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS
It’s so easy to feel inadequate or disheartened when others around you start getting interviews or even offers and you don’t even feel like you’ve started. While it’s not good to be so picky about placements that you don’t apply for anything, you should never apply for a placement that you wouldn’t accept if you got the chance. If you haven’t found one for you and others have that’s fine. Just keep looking and remember that it’s your job to make sure you get the most out of this opportunity as possible.
Hopefully this will help you keep on top of your placement search. I wish you all the best of luck and happy hunting!
Chloe Peoples is a 2nd year CAM student at Ulster University. She can be contacted on Twitter @ChloePeeps or on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-peoples