How to get a work placement

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During the holidays or as part of a sandwich degree, hands on experience is all important...

Work placements

BBC, work placement, experience Work experience is offered by most large organisations and opportunities are advertised at different times of the year.

Look at our section on company profiles to see examples of organisations to approach.
Company websites will advertise placements and tell you when and how to apply.
You will need to decide which position to apply for – though this will be informed by your area of study – make sure it is relevant and useful.
Contact organisations even if not advertising placements - try to get the name of the person you need to contact and ask about opportunities.

Case Study: BBC

Placements are available in just about every area across the UK.
Placements are unpaid and can last anything from a few days to four weeks.
The BBC receives in excess of 20,000 applications each year, so it is very important to think carefully about why you are applying and be able to demonstrate a keen interest in the placement.
Set up your own account which allows you to complete applications more easily and check on the status of your application.
Apply for work experience placements up to 6 months in advance.
Set up personalised alerts for work experience placements up to 12 months in advance.

CV

Your CV will be used by employers to decide it you are suitable.
It should contain the following: personal and contact info; education and qualifications; work history (if any); skills relevant to the job; interests; references (at least one should be academic).
Remember to detail any ICT skills.
Covering letter (see article on covering letters)
This should be fairly brief.
Explain what you are applying for and why you would be good at the role.
Explain why you are applying to that particular organisation.

Preparation

Do plenty of this – find out as much as you can about the organisation.
Look at their website – get an idea of the size of the company, its culture, make sure you know what it does, see if there are any significant event/articles in its recent history (see article on interviews).

Benefits

Chance to find out more about a career you’re considering.
Practical experience and an opportunity to speak to those already doing it.
Better chance of standing out when applying for courses and jobs.
Opportunity to pick up some contacts, learn on the job, and make a good impression.
Placements are often unpaid but relevant experience is highly valuable.

Key Facts

Think about what you want to do.
It's probably best to do something connected with your degree.
Use your initiative: pick up the phone if you cannot find online contact details.