Seven reasons to choose a course with a placement year
Bradford Life Blog
Lucy is currently studying Marketing here at Bradford. She tells us why she decided to do a degree with a placement year and discusses the skills she expects to gain.
A placement year was the path I chose to go down when it came to applying for university. I had toyed between a study abroad year and a placement year, knowing full well I wanted to do a 4-year, not a 3-year degree. I study BSc (Hons) Marketing and am in my first year of the course. While I have not reaped the benefits of this year out of education, I understand that industry experience is vital to my future career.
What actually is a placement year?
A placement year, often known as a sandwich year or industrial placement, is a hands-on practical experience in a professional environment during the university journey that is related to their field of study. Typically, it lasts for one academic year but can be extended, taking place between the second and final year of the degree.
The point of the experience is to bridge the gap between theory taught and the realistic world of work by giving students a chance to apply and develop skills they have learned in the classroom and prepare for graduate life.
7 benefits of a placement year
1. Practical application of knowledge
You’re in the work environment that you have been learning about. This is the time to properly use what you have learned in a real-world setting.
2. Industry skill development
You learn skills that just cannot be taught in the classroom.
3. Professional insight
Gain more of an idea of what working in your chosen career is actually like.
4. Networking opportunities
Networking and creating relationships are one of the most important resources that exist. Going into the work environment allows you to meet people that could be really useful in the future.
5. Increased employability
A much larger proportion of the population has a degree now, especially going into fields that have related degrees, therefore just having a degree isn’t enough to make yourself a top candidate for roles. A placement is a head start into the world of work and gives you experience.
6. Exploration of career paths
You might not know which niche you want to go into in your wider field and this is an opportunity to try one out.
7. Increased confidence
You get to grips with the working role, so you feel a lot better and less like you’re jumping in at the deep end when entering a job.
Ways to do a placement year
Lots of companies offer placement year opportunities, you just have to find them. Luckily, the University offers a careers service which uses a platform called 'Handshake' where you can book a meeting to get support with finding and applying to placements and the team posts opportunities on the app. The Careers and Employability Service is one of many found in the MyBradford area of Student Central.
The question I hear a lot of students have is ‘how do I know if I am eligible to do a placement year?’ The answer is, unfortunately, some courses offer it and some do not and the way to find out is to look on the University website and see if there is the option. If there is, it tends to be an integrated degree and you would be advised to contact your course leader in order to switch pathways. It is relatively open and easy to do, you just need to do it as early as possible to ensure it is possible.
In summary, a placement year is one of the most valuable experiences offered to university students and I would always personally recommend it. It may be still unclear after processing the above information, if this is the case you may want to contact your course rep, course lead, or the Careers and Employability Services team.
Search our sandwich courses and apply.