Gaining experience

Placements and Internships

Placements or internships are usually short, fixed term opportunities, typically of 6 to 12 months duration.

Work placements explained:

Getting into a graduate level job can be tough. Competition is fierce, especially in popular positions. Increasingly graduate employers expect to recruit people with a degree and relevant experience and one key way to get this experience is through doing a placement or internship.

7 reasons to undertake a work placement

Internships explained:

Take advantage of internship opportunities, whether at home or abroad, as they provide transferable skills, useful connections and invaluable industry insights

Competition for placements can be fierce, so make sure you get feedback on your application form, CV and interview techniques, before you apply. Some organisations use assessment centres to recruit so its worth doing some research to prepare for this.

Graduate Training Schemes

What is a Graduate Training Scheme?

Graduate schemes are formal schemes normally run by large employers and are designed to provide structured training and support to enable graduates to enter the company at a relatively senior level. Most schemes are open to graduates from any discipline.

Many leading employers across all industries run graduate training programmes, so discover the benefits of these schemes and how you can land a place.

To increase your chances of success it is recommended that you:

• Secure relevant work experience or internships as an undergraduate in years 1-3 prior to applying for a graduate training scheme
• Get feedback on your application form, CV and interview techniques, and practice and prepare for assessment tests and activities
• Research several different schemes and apply if they interest you

Finding vacancies:

Details of companies who offer graduate training schemes can be found in many places but Prospects and TargetJobs are a good place to start.

If there is an organisation you are particularly interested in working for then it is also worthwhile checking their website and social media feeds.

Volunteering

Volunteering can be a great way to gain relevant work experience and develop new skills while also giving time to a worthy cause.

We recognise the importance of volunteering as a means of gaining valuable skills which will benefit your career and future decision making, helping to make you more employable, not to mention improving your CV.

Five ways volunteering can help you land a job

What volunteering can do for you