What is a placement?
Now, it’s important to understand that the word ‘placement’ is often used by employers to refer to other things – for example they may call ‘work experience’ a ‘work placement’, which can, naturally, get confusing.
As annoying as this is, you kind of have to accept that this just happens and you will need to be extra vigilant when organising your placement, ensuring that both you and the employer or organisation in question are on the same page.
Placements offer a unique mix of relevant work experience and educational opportunities
But let’s move on from semantics and get down to the nitty-gritty. A placement can form part of some university courses and it is often essential for you to undertake if you want to pass your degree (which we assume you all do).
The kind of work you’ll do will be closer to that of an internship than work experience, and you’ll be treated as more of an employee. You’ll probably be given some administrative duties, small projects and day-to-day tasks to take charge of. Some of the work may even count towards your final university grade, so be sure to understand exactly what it is you’re meant to be getting out of your time.
A placement can form part of some university courses and it is often essential for you to undertake if you want to pass your degree.
If you’re not required to do a placement as part of your course, but want to do one anyway, be sure to know the difference between a placement and an internship. The key thing to remember is that internships usually run during the holidays, so you are able to attend full time for an extended period of time; usually one month to six. An industrial placement can run at any time of year, and are usually six months or more, so if you’re still studying there may be a clash.
Placements are common to a number of different university courses and across a number of disciplines.
