A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending the FASS Placements Showcase event where we were joined by many of our FASS fourth-year students who have returned from their placement year experience. They shared stories of their placements\u2014the highs, the challenges, and the lessons they learned along the way. If you\u2019re thinking about a placement year, here\u2019s some advice from students who\u2019ve been in your shoes.<\/p>\n
Going into a workplace for the first time can be daunting, but you won\u2019t get the most out of the experience unless you speak up. Talk to your manager about what you want to learn and don\u2019t be afraid to take on new challenges. The more you put yourself forward, the more you\u2019ll gain.<\/p>\n
Securing a placement isn\u2019t always easy. It can take time, and rejection is part of the process. If you get turned down, don\u2019t be discouraged\u2014keep applying and refining your approach. Persistence and resilience are key, and in the end, the right opportunity will come along.<\/p>\n
A placement is a journey of self-discovery. You\u2019ll find out what excites you, but equally, what doesn\u2019t. That\u2019s okay! Learning what you don\u2019t enjoy is just as valuable as finding your passion. Don\u2019t worry if your placement isn\u2019t exactly what you expected\u2014it\u2019s all part of the process of figuring out where you want to go next.<\/p>\n
For some students, their placement year was a stepping stone to their future career. One student shared how their experience laid the foundations for securing a graduate role in the Civil Service. Even if you don\u2019t see an immediate link to your dream job, the skills you gain\u2014teamwork, time management, and adaptability\u2014will be valuable no matter where you end up.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve secured your placement, throw yourself into the experience. Getting involved in workplace events, social activities, and staff networks will help you feel more connected and make the experience even more enjoyable. Your colleagues will appreciate your enthusiasm, and you\u2019ll build valuable professional relationships along the way.<\/p>\n
Many returning students spoke about how much they grew in confidence by simply asking questions and volunteering for new tasks. It might feel intimidating at first, but showing curiosity and initiative makes a great impression. Managers appreciate proactive interns, and you\u2019ll likely get to work on projects you never expected.<\/p>\n
A surprising benefit for many of the presenters had been how their placement year had helped them when they were returning for their final year. Students had found that working a structured 9-5 schedule improved their time management, making final year feel easier to handle. When you\u2019re used to balancing workload and deadlines in a professional setting, applying those skills to university life becomes second nature.<\/p>\n
When it comes to applying, preparation is everything. Students recommended researching companies thoroughly\u2014check out their website, values, and key competencies, and reflect these in your application. Employers want to see that you understand what they do and that you\u2019re genuinely interested in being part of their team.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re considering a placement year, take it from those who\u2019ve been there: be proactive, stay resilient, and make the most of every opportunity. It\u2019s a year that could shape your future in ways you never expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending the FASS Placements Showcase event where we were joined by many of our FASS fourth-year students who have returned from their placement year experience. They shared stories of their placements\u2014the highs, the challenges, and the lessons they learned along the way. If you\u2019re thinking about a placement year, here\u2019s some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":729,"featured_media":431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[14,83,69,24,30],"class_list":["post-430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-development","tag-career-advice","tag-placement","tag-placement-year","tag-skills-development","tag-student-stories"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/files\/2025\/02\/1739283897042.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/729"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":432,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430\/revisions\/432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/fassemployabilityhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}