Early Identification - Student Recruitment Business Placement Review

The team made me feel like a valuable member from my first day - I was given a lot of responsibility within the team, which I really enjoyed, but there was also a great support system in place that I was able to use in case I felt overwhelmed or that I was struggling with anything.

I was given a dedicated buddy and career coach throughout my placement year, with whom I had regular conversations and check ins with. This meant there were dedicated people that I could speak to if I required any support. There were also other managers who regularly checked in with the team to make sure everyone was happy.

There were definitely busy and quiet periods throughout the year - some weeks, I was out of the office nearly every day and was extremely busy, whereas other weeks there was less to do. However, there was always things that I could find to do, or ask if I could take any responsibilities from anybody else.

Although my placement year wasn't directly linked to my Physics degree, I have developed a number of skills throughout my placement year, such as leadership, communication and reporting. I have also expanded my knowledge in the use of Microsoft Excel for data analysis. The improvement of these skills will definitely help me with my final year degree studies.

The atmosphere in the office was really friendly - a number of my team were based in the Newcastle office, so it was nice to be able to socialise with my team on a daily basis. There were also a lot of events going on in the office that you could get involved in if you wanted to.

The set of the placement was well organised and structured. Each student had an induction at the start of the year to fully immerse them in the team, there was a structured support system in place for everyone so each person had designated people they could contact in the team.

At the start of the placement year, each student had to sit down with their career coach to set their personal goals for the year, which are then discussed again in a mid-year review. This was great in allowing each student to set their objectives and what they wanted to get out of the year. There were also great shadowing opportunities to explore other lines of service.

As all of the placement students in IFS were based across different offices nationally, it was quite difficult for all of us to get together for socials. However, there were good social opportunities in each office, and at team days etc. there was a good opportunity for the team to socialise.

I lived at home throughout my placement year, therefore the cost of living for me was low. However I was based in Newcastle, so the cost is low for rent anyway. The prices of socialising is also very cheap in Newcastle, and there are a lot of options for places to go.

There was a Sports & Social Club in the office, where you got get involved in a variety of sports clubs or attend different social activities, such as BBQs etc. There were also a lot of charity events occurring throughout the year that you could attend to socialise if you wanted to.