Placements, Placements, Placements…

In my last few blogs I've touched a bit on placements, but I haven’t really gone into much detail. Well… Enough detail to get you by, I wouldn't want to bore you with facts and figures now would I?

Moving on then, here’s a short bullet point list regarding the steps you should take in order to firstly choose a company, and secondly actually get higher chances of getting the job:


Ask yourself, “Do I really want to do a Placement Year? If so, why?”

• Fair enough, I've gone on about how beneficial a placement year is but these were benefits that I derived from my own personal research and aspirations. For some people, placements just aren't their thing; they’d rather complete Uni and then start worrying about getting a job (you decide the practicality of that).
• Obviously the potential income is extremely enticing however; THIS SHOULDN'T BE YOUR MAIN REASON. If you let the drive for money be your sole motivation in terms of placements, you’ll just end up doing a placement that you don’t actually want to do and has no correlation with your degree or future career prospects. Bear in mind I’m not saying that money shouldn't be a motive, it is, and always will be, that’s why we all work after all, just don’t let that be your only and most important reason. The real rewards are intangible, such as experience and self-satisfaction.
• Identify the benefits that it could give YOU, whether it is the experience, networking or income.

You've decided right? Great! Next step:

• If you haven’t done so already, consult your parents/guardians, tutor or advisor and see if they support your initiative. If you still have some uncertainty, the university have placement talks and workshops organised by the by the Guidance Employability Team and Business Employability office which will give you an opportunity to ask any questions and in some cases, actually hear what employers think about the scheme.
• Once you’re certain that this is what you want to do, send an email to busemployability@gre.ac.uk containing your Full Name, Course Title and Year, Banner ID No. as well as a short note stating that you would like your mode of study to be changed from full-time to a sandwich course. With this option, you have nothing to lose because even if you don’t get a placement for whatever reason, your mode of study can easily be changed back to full time.
• If possible, try and get your course changed either before the end of your first year, or as soon as you start your second year. That way you have a lot more time to actually look for placements and bear in mind most big companies have their application deadlines in October and even November!
• Some websites that I find really helpful in searching for internships and placements are www.milkround.co.uk, www.prospects.co.uk and www.ratemyplacement.co.uk. My personal favourite is Rate My Placement, I found it a lot more specific in terms of actual companies that gave placements etc. however I’m not taking anything away from the other two, check them out too, you might like them more.

Now the ‘hard’ bit, before applying:

• Do some research into the industry you would like to go into, ideally something that links up well with your degree and third year modules. Get at least a minimum of 20-25 businesses in that industry that you would like to go into, and then another 10 in a related industry which skills are transferable. I know, I know, this seems like a lot, but trust me, once you comprehend the amount of applications sent to these companies by students just like you and I, you’ll apply to as many as possible to raise your chances, and you would really have nothing much to lose.
• Like mentioned above, try and get your course changed as soon as you decide, preferably first few weeks of the second year. Next most, if not all placements primarily target students on the path to getting a 2:1 so it’s really advisable that you get good marks for the first year.
• Before sending out any applications, unless if you are 153% certain that your CV and cover letters are flawless, set up an appointment with the Business Employability office by emailing your full name, Banner ID and a note stating that you would like to book a CV and Cover Letter Clinic to busemployability@gre.ac.uk. Trust me, this helps! I had so much confidence in my CV until my clinic where so many corrections came up and I left with a much better CV. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!!!!

Finally, applying:

• Once you have your ammunition ready, that being your CV and list of companies, you’re ready to apply. A quick note though, in most cases it’s highly unadvisable to have a generic Cover Letter because companies want to feel that you wrote it specifically for them, that will impress them a lot.
• For companies that require some form of online tests, get some practice questions done beforehand to give you a better understanding. There are some practise psychometric tests available via the student portal if need be.

On a closing note, throughout the whole process remember the fact that you’re not alone, aside from the employability offices, there are tutors, and even lecturers that would be happy to give you more information or guidance regarding this. The large majority of employers out there look for graduates with work experience and if you have a year’s placement experience under your belt, guess what, your chances just doubled! I take a placement year like a Demo for a Playstation (or Xbox -_-) game because it gives you a taste of what the real thing is like, which in this case would be an actual full time job and professional environment, and it gives you some valuable experience all before the real thing.

But yeah, this is my blog dedicated to placements, I hope I've shed some light on pressing issues and managed to give some useful information.

 Till we read again…

Start of second year

Well, 2^nd Year has definitely started with a bang. Complete contrast from first year where you’re kind of eased into the workload, 2^nd year is the complete contrast because you pretty much have no option but to hit the ground running! However, what I can reflect on is the fact that since I paid a reasonable amount of attention in my first year, nothing this year is really taking me by surprise that much. It’s obviously a lot more work crammed into a short amount of time but this is the vital time to gain those ‘time management’ skills we've been drilled into familiarising ourselves with since the age of fourteen. My advice to those entering the 2^nd year of study is to draft up a coursework planner, this way when you have a constant reminder of when your deadlines are, you’ll be more inclined to actually get started.

As employability is also becoming a major issue, I’d also advice students to consider a placement year as I believe that apart from your degree, this is the next best thing to have on your CV. Placement years give students that work experience that all employers seem to be constantly after and if you can provide evidence of experience, this will make your application more lucrative. On a professional point of view, others take University as a chance to get a degree, I take it as a chance to build up my CV, there are so many things that you can get involved with between the first and the third year to have a ‘banging’ CV.  One of the biggest drawbacks to graduates is lack of knowledge in general, so give our Guidance Employability Team or our Business Employability Team a visit and they’ll be able to help you with anything from Cover Letters, to CV’S to advice in the top graduate employers.

But on a whole I look forward to the challenges this year will bring, after all, no place worth going has an easy pathway right?

Looking back at my first year..

To my beloved readers,

This is officially my first blog of my summer break and I must say its going pretty well (thus far). As we 'speak' I'm writing this from the motherland (Zimbabwe, Africa) which is where I will be spending the majority of my holiday, yes we have internet, haha. I must say it's good to be back home, seeing familiar faces and getting to spend some time with those I cherish. As I look back on my First Year, I reckon I had quite a successful outcome. Entering the UK as a foreigner one would expect that the sudden change of culture and principles would do my head in but instead, it was the comlete opposite! I hit the ground running, so to speak, and within a few weeks of my education at the University of Greenwuch I was elected by my peers to be the Student Representative of the class and I had managed to score my first job within the University as a Senior Events Assistant. Quite a fair start I must say :) ! As the months rolled on and I got more stuck into the University I became a member of the 1st Team Basketball, got promoted to the Recruitment Ambassador position and managed to get my second job within the University as an Enquiry Unit Assistant, which is where I got involved in Student Blogging. My exam results were well above average, managing to attain the highest marks in my class for all three examinations.

 Looking back on those results I wonder how I did it lol. I mean, I had a blast during my first year and really managed to let loose and enjoy myself but when it was time to work, boy did I work! That goes to show that it is in fact possible to enjoy your first year and still get really good grades, I'm a living testimony! One major piece of advice, PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE PHRASE "FIRST YEAR DOESN'T COUNT"!! Fair enough most courses do not include first year marks in the final degree but think about it, doing well in your first year makes the second and third years so much easier because you would have managed to pick up some valuable momentum. This piece of advice also specially goes out to students wishing to take a placement year in their industry of choice, companies will definitely look at your first year performance!

On a closing note, I just want to say that my first year was unforgettable and the more you put into the University of Greenwich, the more you will get out. This is regardless of your age, gender, religion, ethnicity, physical appearance/ability or what football team you support lol. The University of Greenwich prides itself on it's diversity so I assure you, all are welcome. Stay safe, and enjoy the summer! :)

Russ

End of first year..

So, first year is finally done and I can't say that I haven't had a great time. I've made friends for life and had such an amazing experience, having moments I'll truly savour for the rest of my life. The workload took some getting used to but after you're in the rhythm of things it all seems to pass by easily. My exams went quite well though, I got top grades for all my classes which will definitely help me since I'll be looking to do a placement year after my second year.

This summer I'm going back to the motherland, and I must say I'm looking forward to being back home in Zimbabwe. Although I would have loved to experience the full length and effects of the infamous British summer but hey, there's always next year :). A piece of advice to all those reading, summer is the perfect time to let loose and all but it's also one of the best opportunities to get some valuable work experience that will surely stand out on your CV so get stuck in!

All summed up, first year was awesome, I worked hard, and I played hard, balancing my time, and I can't say that I could have had a better time! Cheers.

Third World, First Home. (Zimbabwe)

Is your knowledge of my home based on what you have discerned on your own or on what you have been told? If the media holds the paint brush that tells the story of our demise with the earth as it’s canvas, you, the audience, are left with little to no choice to take the painter’s work as it is, no questions, no analysis. But do you know the story behind the strokes of paint so eloquently displayed, that only tell tales of misery, and choose to leave out the rest? You see, I’m no politician. I won’t venture into unfamiliar territory with a lack of facts, knowledge and resources. But what I do know is that we are far from the common misconception. Can you be blamed though? I mean the only time we are ever in the headlines is when there is a collapse in economy or health standards. The only thing you are shown is poverty, death, corruption and our supposed ‘primitive nature’. Have you ever asked yourself what the painter is hiding? If my home is really as bad as it’s seen on his canvas? You never see the bright lights, or the friendly inhabitants of our cities. You never see the roads, the cars, or the literate individuals that rank us as the most literate country in Africa.

All they show you is the dust, the infamous political speeches and acts of violence, the mud houses and the wildlife, which seems to be all we are ever positively known for really. Is this so called ‘news’ reality, or misguided perception fueled by contempt in reaction to our refusal to conform? I Googled Zimbabwe and on the first page of image results all that came up was poor children asking for food, sick people in hospital, our cash crises and policemen issuing beatings to a member of the public (excluding maps of course). Note I said THE VERY FIRST page!

With the growing importance of the Internet, if someone is from a More Economically Developed Country is to Google Zimbabwe and that’s what they see, it only shows what they are fed to believe. Only a few beautiful nature shots came up of a Wonder of the world people claim isn’t ours, no social gatherings, or vehicles, or buildings, or success. This is what the painter chooses to show you. You never see images of our capital city like this do you:

Upon hearing and witnessing my linguistic skills people often ask me where I’m from. I proudly smirk and reply, “Zimbabwe, why do you ask?” (Knowing the answer). Followed by their generic reply, “Ummmm, are you sure?” After a few more minutes of convincing, and letting them know I've lived there for 19 years and have been here (London) for less than a year, still in doubt they conclude, “Wow, your English is really good, you sound so ‘posh’.” At first I took offence to such exchanges, I mean what did you expect me to sound like? Did you expect that I walk 10 miles every morning to get clean water? That I have a pet lion and ride elephant’s to school? That was all till I began to feel sorry for these inquisitors, realising their unintended ignorance. Thus I realised, they ask me these questions not out of intention to offend, but because such stereotypes have been engraved into their being, so what more do they expect. I often find myself having to explain how admirable life is in my home country because if not me, who else will? Fair and fine our economy isn’t the most reputable around, nor is our way of dealing with certain situations in an ethical manner, sure we have a lower life expectancy and less superior health care but you know what? We get on with it, and we live. These are just a few of numerous issues but really, which country doesn’t have any at all? Is a short life of freedom not sweeter than a long one in conformance? We’ve been to hell and back, survival for us is a way of life, and I make reference to Charles Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest.
Harare, dubbed as one of the ‘least livable cities’ in the world by this illustrious painter, has led to the majority of your common misconception. But when having your own cars, domestic workers, business ventures, houses spanning the size of a common train station, bedroom the size of an entire floor of a common London house and best of all having all of this WITH NO DEBT TO THE GOVERNMENT, is referred to as un-livable, then what is livable? If paying off debts you collected in your teens for the rest of your working life is referred to as freedom then I want no part in it.

Listen, I could go on forever, telling you how we are not what we seem, forcing you to believe me, but that will just make me no better than the painter that gave you your views in the first place. Instead I’ll say do your own research, see with your own eyes, visit if you have the time and luxury to and see for yourself all that the painter left out. I’m not saying we’re the best country in Africa, I’m not saying we are flawless, I’m not saying you choose to hold negative perceptions over our existence. All I’m saying is we are not what the media makes us out to be, I’m shedding a little light if you will.
At the end of the day it’s your third world, and my first home. So will you choose to see what you know, or will you see what you are told..

Advice I give to any student planning on studying Business Law is that, from my personal opinion, its the best law route that's out there. I mean, Corporate Lawyers are the highest paid kind of lawyers with an average of £170k for more senior corporate lawyers and if that doesn't catch your attention I don't know what will! With Business Law you have the choice to either venture into the business side of things or the more legal which gives you very valuable and marketable skills when you're out in the world. Employers would much rather pick a business person that's well versed in law as well and vice versa so it's one of the best courses out there!

My First Blog!

Hi guys, thanks for sharing this moment with me and reading my first ever blog! 

I honestly don't know what took me so long to do this because I love writing but getting a diary wasn't an option, I left those days in Primary. Thing is I'm generally a really contemplative person, I question things that people usually brush off or I view things in a completely different way than people would normally view it. Some say it makes me weird, I say it makes me superhuman! I question society, principles, life and everything that you probably have but just didn't air out, and in all this I manage to remain politically correct Awesome right? 

Since I have to post something about the Uni, my advice is, fair enough lecturers and students say "1st Year doesn't count" but don't be fooled and party your first year away because it WILL come back to haunt you. Rather have fun but keep on top of your coursework and deadlines so you can hit the ground running for the rest of your course.

Life is short, so is my blog, so savor it :P! But anyway, this is just a short introduction of what's to follow, call it an appetizer if you must, stay tuned for more :). 

Take it easy!