Do not just take our word for it, here are some recent placement students who would like to share their experiences:
Niveka – Geography (OfGem)
My name is Niveka Victoria, and I’m currently doing BSc Geography. I did my placement year at OFGEM, in Canary Wharf as a data analyst. It was nothing short of anything but a great experience. I was blessed with such an amazing manager and had a great team to work with. I learnt so much through each one I met at this organisation. Ofgem also funded my training with different programmes such as “economics for beginners”, “Data visualisation” and “Drafting skills for economists and analysts”. This placement will benefit me in the future, as it’s a great experience to have in this competitive world and I have made a great group of connections, and I believe networking is important.
Through the period of COVID-19, I was told to work from home, and the company supported me physically and mentally in many ways. I also used this challenging experience to learn more about myself, and how quickly I can adapt to different situations.
I am glad that the University of Brighton pushed me to venture out of my comfort zone and persuaded me to do a placement year. I would recommend all students to do a placement year, as it is an experience that opens up so many opportunities.
Jake – Environmental Science (Land Science)
My name is Jake and I am currently studying Environmental Science BSc (Hons). I undertook my year-long placement as a Geo-Environmental Engineer at Land Science (Burgess Hill).
Throughout this placement, I developed new industry-based skills that enabled me to confidently conduct tests and interpret data to produce a clear and coherent report. These were specific to a client’s needs and/or engineering specifications. These skills included the use of specialised equipment for investigations and understanding the application, using geology specific programs for interpretation, and developing upon data to help produce a report specific to requirements. Additional to this, interpersonal skills, developing on constructive criticism, and clear presentational skills were also improved upon.
This placement gave me an excellent insight into how the geo-technical industry works, and how process is applied to individual cases can create a coherent investigation. This knowledge will allow me to enter the industry with an excellent understanding of the direction I wish to go in, and, areas where I can improve personally.
The placement team were very approachable and informative to any issues I had, especially during the COVID Lockdown. This being quite a unique situation, I felt the placement team conducted and supplied information very well and addressed any concerns during this time. This became particularly important during the recommencing of work, post lockdown.
I would definitely recommend students undertaking a placement, as I feel it has given me the opportunity and experience to understand the direction of my career, and what other options that I may want to explore during and after my degree.
Piers – Computer Science (Lighthouse Systems)
My name is Piers and I’m entering my final year of computer science. I recently finished my placement year at Lighthouse Systems, a software development company located just outside of Crawley.
My placement year allowed me not only to improve upon my technical ability through working frequently with C# and SQL, but also on soft skills such as teamwork, relationship building, and communication.
The year in industry has boosted my confidence in my post-graduate employability enormously.
The placements team supported me through each my applications and gave critical feedback and advice at each stage allowing me to put my best self forward to the companies I was interested in.
I’d strongly recommend anyone with the opportunity to take part in a placement year do so, the benefits are evident and will kick start your career.
Daniel – BEng Hons Mechanical Engineering (Airbus)
My placement was in the Airbus Defence & Space mechanical design office in Portsmouth. Here I was involved in 3D modelling of parts and assemblies, 3D printing prototypes, and reviewing 3D designs using the virtual reality equipment in the office! I learnt how the knowledge learnt from my course, mechanical engineering, is relevant to industry, as well as gaining interpersonal skills with my colleagues and other interns in the office. This placement has definitely given me desirable skills when applying for a graduate roll in engineering, as well as giving me an insight into what I can look forward to in the future. It also opened my eyes to the wide range of interesting opportunities available within the engineering industry.
I was able to secure my placement thanks to the help and guidance of the placements team. Despite having very limited work experience and CV writing experience, the team where able to proof read my applications and run mock interviews with me to boost my confidence. I would highly recommend any student to apply for a placement.
Marta – Maths (Clarksons Research)
Hi, I’m Marta and I’m a Maths student, currently on placement at Clarksons Research. Since I started uni the opportunity of a placement year was very tempting, even though I was very unsure on the kind of job that I was going to apply for. I’ve now been working for three months and the impact has been very positive. I started in my role as a Data Technician while working from home: it was a situation in which me, or my employers, have never been in. My training went ahead anyway, and I am now very capable of doing my job both in the office, as we were able to return for a couple of weeks in September, and autonomously at home. I can confidently say that, after my short time at the company, my organisational and IT skills have sharpened. Clarksons has given me a better insight into how the research industry works, which has given me a better idea of what I want to do in the future.
Karina – Science (Lonza)
My placement year was at Lonza, Slough working in Stability. During my placement year, I was in a fast-paced environment which I found really exciting and enjoyable. I gained a variety of practical skills in the laboratory as well as developing soft skills such as project management, organisation, and time management skills. All of these skills I believe I will be using in my final year of University and my future career. The placement team were great support especially in the application process, reviewing all my applications prior to submission and helping me with my interview skills. The placement was really enjoyable as I gained further insight into the pharmaceutical industry, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience working in this industry. I highly recommend a placement to other students.
Katarzyna – Biomedical Science (Stryker)
Although my placement-seeking journey was exceptionally long, I managed to land my Marketing Placement at Stryker, one of the top 10 medical devices and technologies companies in the world.
As an intern in Spine division, I was supporting execution of the marketing strategy for all European markets and some of my responsibilities included conducting market and competitor analysis, designing marketing collateral, and managing internal communication channels. My daily responsibilities as well as the training I was provided with allowed me to deepen my knowledge of spinal pathologies and surgical procedures performed to alleviate pain.
Having had a chance to observe surgeons using Stryker’s products during live surgeries, I developed deeper understanding of the customer-facing roles and realised the impact we, as a company, had on patients’ lives. As a person that has always had a profound desire to help people, this realisation opened a door to new career opportunities for me.
I would highly recommend doing an industrial placement and I am confident that as a biomedical scientist-to-be you will be an invaluable asset to any company you choose to do your placement at!
Product Design Faculty
Ben – Product Design (Focusrite)
My placement year was at Focusrite, a music technology company located in London. The year was an opportunity to build upon existing knowledge and learn new skills from seasoned professionals, such as app development, designing for accessibility, and reacting to user feedback throughout the design process.
Participating in a placement year is a great opportunity to put your course knowledge to practice, and work on real, valuable projects that can make a difference in the world. Not only did it set me up with a plethora of new and improved skills for final year, my work ethic and focus improved dramatically. Do not hesitate to undertake a placement year.