Eryk Gadomski's video transcript

Hello everyone, my name is Eric Gadomski and I am a third year biology student here at the University of Derby. Today I'm going to talk to you about my personal experience of placement and what are the options available for you. I completed a hundred and twenty hour placement at Peak Wildlife Park hence why I'm wearing a t-shirt and it's all in aid of the vocational module in my third year here at the University of Derby.

When I was looking for a placement I first wrote down all the jobs that I would like to do, then I narrowed it down and looked for the companies that did those jobs. I went online looked up their portfolios and emailed the relevant people. However, if you are struggling there is always help around the corner whether it be the people that did it the semester before, or last year, the Careers Hub or the lecturers. Email the company asking for work experience, it can be a bit daunting but we brave and courageous because you never know what can come out of.

Whilst on placement at a Peak Wild Park I had to do a variety of things such as looking after the welfare and well-being of animals, feeding penguins, meerkats and alpacas, and also conducting enrichment behaviour observations for the park which links into the material I learned at University.

When you start your journey here of University of Derby you have a choice to make - if you know what you want to do a placement then you can go ahead and apply for it from the get go through you UCAS. Job done! Well that was easy but what if you are unsure? Do not worry you can easily swap onto a placement degree or alternatively drop it once you are enrolled at the programme. However, if you want a bit of placement and a three year degree then you can pick up the vocational module in your third year. So that's what I did, I did a vocational module it enabled me to study alongside other modules, finish in three years and also have that real-life work experience which is very important. I gained and I strengthened transferable skills such as communication, teamwork and multi-tasking which is vital when you leave uni.

Whichever option you pick it is always good to have some work placement in your degree, whether it be like me a vocational module or a full-on year placement. A placement will teach you something a classroom cannot. I know people have gone and done a placement and have been offered jobs after their degree- this is always something to consider. Thank you very much for listening to my vlog.

Eryk Gadomski's video

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