If you weren’t interested before, you should be after this!
Hey guys!
My name’s Louie and I’m currently completing a placement module for my own University’s marketing department! I thought it would be cool if I used this platform to let you all know what I think of it so far, as well as why I chose it in the first place.
Just to get everyone up to speed, the module I’m completing is Media in Practice. It’s an optional module for second-year English students at the Falmer campus of the University of Brighton (obvs). You complete a 50-hour placement, write a reflective journal about said placement and put on an end of semester event. It’s pretty great. Well, I would say that, I am doing the module…and writing this while at my placement…
To preface, I’m going to pose myself questions that I wish I had known (or been able to ask those on the module) before I made my final choice in the hopes that it helps someone decide too!
What’s your placement?
I got a placement at the University of Brighton’s media and communications team, working under Senior Marketing Officers Lizzie and Kate (they’re super lovely).
What do you do there?
I’ve only done 18 hours as of writing this, but so far I’ve investigated the University’s YouTube presence and given feedback to the higher-ups and what should change, wrote some enticing text for the Brighton University homepage and today I’m writing blog posts to keep everything relevant on the University course pages.
How often do you do it?
I do it one day a week, for 6 hours. So it’s not a life-altering amount of work by any means, as theoretically I could be done in 7 weeks.
How did you get it?
Robyn Moallemi, the course leader, emailed out a lot of placement opportunities during the searching period, and I responded to one she sent out, but I know a lot of students got their placement through the Active Student service, but you’ll get told about that in the introductory session. You’re also totally welcome to find your own placement if those offered don’t interest you. If you want a hint from me though, just keep reading your emails after enrollment, it makes it really easy!
What makes up your final grade?
40% is the critically reflective journal. You complete an entry after each session of placement and you use theory to show how you’ve used the knowledge learned throughout your course so far. Your contribution to the end-of-semester event is 20%, this is judged through lectures where the students all work together to create the event as well as a private Facebook page where we can discuss stuff outside the classroom. We have split into two teams, one dedicated to marketing, and, the other, the logistics, so don’t worry about getting lost in a crowd of voices! The final 40% is a 10-minute presentation at the end of semester event where you discuss what went on at your placement and what you’ve learnt.
Why did you choose the module?
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you, but the job market is a little bit saturated with candidates at the moment, and so gaining experience, especially in an industry you’re really interested in rather than a retail job, is quite hard while also studying at Uni. So I thought this module would be a great opportunity to both see whether this (marketing) is something I am interested in doing in the future, but also having additional experience to bolster my CV and gain a leg up on the competition. Honestly, I also find it affirming to be able to apply the skills learnt throughout my degree in a workplace environment because, for me at least, it is easy to forget why you are doing your chosen course.
Does your placement live up to what was promised?
I think so. Being able to work within a team towards a common goal, attending meetings, completing tasks relevant to an industry I want to go into, and having a genuine voice (if only because I’m the only current student on the team!) is far more helpful than any book on the subject could ever be.
The hardest part of the module so far (I’ve not done my presentation yet!) was finding my placement, but there is a great support network on this module, so utilise it. If you do decide to do this module, get your placement approved early, because you’re not marked on the quality of your work completed at placement but you are marked on your journal and the end-of-semester event, so allow more time for that.
I have no qualms in saying that this module was the right choice for me, and I don’t think you can go wrong in choosing Media in Practice.*
*Literature in Practice is the same module bar the placements you are offered, so everything I wrote applies to anyone interested in that module too! Wahey!
Explore the range of English courses offered by the University of Brighton.
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