My Placement Experience - Sal Amin

During my second year, I made the decision to undertake a placement year while being on a three year course and this was definitely something I would recommend to anyone currently attaining their degree. The nature of the job market has changed in recent years and as it is more competitive than ever to land your dream role, having professional experience with anecdotes you can call on to display when you have helped a business is more important than ever.

Doing a placement was a great opportunity for me to discover what kind of roles are out there and as the first in my family to go to university, see what doors having a degree opens. I applied and was successful for a few roles but decided to work for a Recruitment company called Chase Weston based in the business hub of Manchester, Spinningfields. I worked there for over a year as the Managing Director asked me to stay on due to the success I had in the role.

I chose Executive Search Recruitment because I would get the chance to speak to CEOs, Directors, Managers which is something not easily accessible usually as a student and have the opportunity to earn commission alongside a base salary directly related to my own contribution to the company. My daily routine would include me interviewing these senior executives, managing clients, finding new clients and building my own presence in the market. It was great, I was responsible for my own success and I liked the fact I could have a direct impact on the business with my work. During the course of my placement, I helped to fill positions such as Senior Vice President of the Americas, General Manager Commercial Operations, National Sales Director and deliver over £250,000 of revenue!  This is something I would not have achieved if I went for some of the other roles offered at placement at a junior level, so definitely take a calculated risk in what placement you go for and where you feel you can make the most impact.

I would recommend to everyone (not only students!) is to get yourself a LinkedIn and make it as detailed as possible. This includes making sure each area in which you have put your professional experience, you also have details regarding job responsibilities, achievements and any awards you accrued at the time. Many recruiters and companies will scout your LinkedIn first so it is important to make a great first impression. Furthermore, I realised once I began the role that this is the best way to network professionally and can also help you to introduce yourself into the market.

From my time in recruitment, I have noticed many companies look for an individual who has researched the company and the market they operate in. It’s great if you have the experience they require but spend some time to look at what the company is currently doing and how you personally can add to the business, this could set you apart from the other graduates applying for the same role as you. I have also seen that companies show more interest in candidates who can ask questions in interviews as it shows a willingness to learn and that you are someone who can be taught to be successful in their business.

Placements help you to understand better what you want to do in the future and I personally feel I have a clear understanding of the type of graduate roles I want to apply for. I was lucky to be offered a place back at Chase Weston when I complete my degree and it is definitely something I will consider going forward as I really enjoyed my time there and the culture surrounding the company. It has helped me acquire good habits going into my final year and I feel more organised than ever. The confidence, doing a placement gives you, allows you to understand what type of person you are and be succinct in interviews in what you can achieve going forward for companies.