Many courses now offer students the chance to apply their learning in a practical setting as part and parcel of their route towards their qualification. Student placements can be as short as a few weeks, or can last a whole year; they can involve competitive selection processes, or provide little choice in location/organisation; they can be fantastic learning opportunities, or forgettable spells of tea-making.

So what makes a good placement? What are the potential pitfalls? And what can you do to overcome the possible problems, or better still, avoid them all together?

I recently interviewed several students who had undergone placements in the last year, and who had quite different experiences to report. For some the experience was an overwhelmingly positive one, whilst for others their time in a working environment left a lot to be desired. Using the feedback given I have compiled a list of tips to think about before you embark on your own placement.

The Choice of Placement

In many cases you will be given little choice in where you are allocated, which can, of course, lead to a bit of a lottery situation when it comes to quality of experience. You may at least be given a shortlist of three or four organisations to consider and, if this is the case, think carefully about the factors that may make a difference (some of which are listed below). In some instances you will have to apply through a competitive process to secure a placement. This is often more likely to be the case if the placement is for a whole year. The assessment process can be very rigorous, often involving interviews, psychometric tests, assessment exercises, etc. Whatever the scenario, the main messages seem to be:-

• Think about whether the type of organization suits your particular learning interest.

• Consider also whether location will be a factor – is the company within a reasonable travelling distance?

• Visit the organisation before you start; make contact, if you can, with current placement students. Ask if the organisation has a portfolio of previous placement experiences and take a look at it.

• Consider whether you would prefer a large organization – where the training programme may be more structured (and the opportunities for long term job prospects may be greater) – or a small enterprise where there may be more scope for initiative and variety of work

And if you have to apply through a competitive process:-

• Treat the selection process as seriously as you would if it were for a permanent job. In some sectors there is stiff competition for placements and some students fail to secure one – perhaps because they haven’t done enough groundwork to get the placement of their choice.

• Do your homework on the companies to which you’ve applied. Be ready to show you know about them – their products, their market, etc.

• Think carefully about the nature of the placement – will it involve relocating from your university town/city for example?

What else to look for in your Placement

• Make sure there’s a Mentor

The best organisations will ensure that their placement students have regular access to a mentor – a member of staff who is on site and able to oversee students’ progress, resolve problems, etc. In one case a student was allocated a mentor but the person was based at another site and rarely available for discussion, particularly when a serious problem arose.

• Have a Learning Contract

A good placement should provide specified learning objectives and, critically, opportunities to meet those objectives. It is helpful if these are discussed between student and mentor and written up formally, either prior to starting the placement or in the first week. Check this will happen as you arrange your placement.

• Regular Evaluation

The learning contract should be used as an opportunity to review and record progress on a regular basis (weekly or monthly, depending on the length of placement). Again this should involve a discussion between you and your mentor – a time to record achievements and identify any problems.

• Tutor Contact

Again, in the best scenario, you should have intermittent contact with your course tutor throughout your placement. Use this as your chance to ensure that your placement training is staying on track with your course objectives and, of course, to talk about any problems you are encountering that you are unable to resolve through your mentor. In the case of the ‘absent mentor’ above, the student concerned was reluctant to ‘blow the whistle’ on the situation but eventually raised it constructively with his tutor.  There was a positive outcome – the tutor was able to get the organisation to review its policy on mentor allocation, which benefited other students as well.

What You Can Do

Even if all the elements mentioned above are in place it won’t guarantee a happy placement. You may well come up against difficulties from members of staff who see you as someone there to do all the mundane jobs, or who feel threatened by the involvement of someone less experienced, but more qualified, than them. However, most students I spoke to said that the attitude you adopt, from day one, can be a critical factor in overcoming any problems. The key messages seem to be:-

• Take time to get to know staff, show an interest in their jobs and their experience.

• Don’t be over-confident in your approach – you need to show what you are capable of, but you are also there to learn.

• Don’t be too quiet either! Ask questions of more experienced staff members, take part in general conversations, be willing to join in social activities.

• As your experience grows, be willing to ask for work – show initiative. Offer to help out in peak workload periods, even if it means working on a bit longer and supporting staff by taking on some of the more mundane elements of the workload.

• If you have to relocate to take up your placement, ask to be put in touch with any other students joining at the same time – this may help especially if you all have to find somewhere to live. If there are no other placement students see if there’s a graduate trainee programme that you can tap into to develop new acquaintances.

Above all, make the most of the opportunity. Even if you don’t enjoy the environment you find yourself in, treat it as a real learning experience that will help you think about your future job options.

For more information on placements go to the website for the National Council for Work Experience: www.work-experience.org