FAQ

» How long is a placement?

A placement is for a minimum of 38 weeks, but they usually last for a year.

» When do placements start and finish?

You will start sometime between May and September after your second year and your finish date will depend on your placement organisation.

» What support do I get from the University to find a placement?

You have a dedicated Placement Officer (Libby Beck) who holds 'one to one' or 'one to group' (no more than 3) appointments to discuss CV's, job searching and interview techniques plus a host of other things with regards to finding a placement.

You will also study a module during your 2nd year with regards to employability in which we will introduce placement and graduate employers and students who have been exactly where you are.

You can also access the Career Development Centre for help and advice on your career choices.

» How do I enrol for my placement year?

You'll enrol online and Libby will contact you with details regarding this when enrolment opens. You don't have to come into the University to enrol.

» Do I pay fees?

This depends on what sort of placement you take.

» Can I apply for a student loan?

You will need to inform Student Finance England that you're taking a placement year and they will let you know what you can apply for.

» Do I have to attend lectures?

No you don't have to attend lectures. The only day you will have to come back into university is Call Back Day which is usually held late March or early April.

Call Back Day is compulsory for students.

» What university work will I have to do whilst on placement?

This depends on what you are studying.

Computing students will study for the Diploma in Professional Practice whilst on placement. This is a separate award to the degree and the grades do not contribute to the classification you finally graduate with.

Business students will keep a reflective journal of their placement year and have the option to study a module based on their placement during their final year. Business students can also take the Diploma in Professional Practice if they wish to.

» What contact will I have with the University?

If you have any questions you need to email Libby in the first instance. She will then be able to either answer the question or point you in the right direction.

You will also receive two visits during your placement year from your Visiting Tutor who is an academic member of staff. 

» Can Joint Honours students take a placement year?

Yes they can, depending on what discipline they wish to take their placement in.

» Where can I look for a placement?

The Faculty of Business, Computing and Law has a dedicated placement jobs board which is password protected. You will get the password once you've met with Libby and she has taken you through the processes and procedures of placement and reviewed your CV. Vacancies are also advertised through email, Twitter and Facebook.

You can use resources such as the Career Development Centre and websites. An excellent website to use is Rate My Placement.

» Is it worth emailing companies to ask if they have any vacancies?

If you're thinking of contacting companies the first thing to do is to research their website to find out if they have any information available. If not the best thing is to give them a call to ask who to send your CV to.

CVs that are sent to info@ addresses are very often ignored. Always follow up your email with a call to the person a couple of days later to ask if they have received it.

» Can I take a placement outside the UK?

Yes you can. You can take a placement anywhere in the world.

Please note that many placements or "internships" in America and Australia are unpaid. You will also need to consider any visa regulations for certain countries.

» What hours will I work? Will I get holidays?

These will depend on the organisation you work for. They will issue you with a contract of employment (as they would with any employee) which will set out your work hours and also your holiday entitlement. You don't get university holidays.

» Do I get paid for doing a placement?

Yes you do. The average salary is around £14,000, but some students get more and some get a little less.