A placement is a great opportunity to see how your academic studies can be brought to life in a work environment. The optional second-year unit in the Business School, organised by the Professional Liaison Network (PLN), sets up work for you with local SMEs, charities, and businesses primarily in and around the Bristol area.
Why take part in a placement?
- It’s a great opportunity to develop your employability skills.
- Gain invaluable work experience to enhance your future career. You will be able to do real work helping these organisations.
- We want you to get the most out of your placement, so support is available every step of the way. This includes placement preparation sessions and regular opportunities to discuss your placement with the PLN.
Marsha’s placement
Marsha Chan, BSc Business and Management, completed her placement with local SME, Self Agency:
‘My placement was 80 hours in total, from November through to May. I worked with Self Agency, a neurodiversity consultancy in Bristol. My main responsibilities included marketing, event planning and admin work.
My job responsibilities were quite flexible as my supervisor, the founder of Self Agency, was very considerate of my skills and what I hoped to achieve during this placement.’
Marsha helped plan and organise a neurodiversity event during her placement:
How has the placement unit helped you prepare for the future?
‘Although I have had work experience before, I felt that I learned a lot more in this one as my placement host gave me the flexibility, freedom and responsibility to get involved in company projects as much as I could. It gave me the practical experience of developing soft skills such as interpersonal communication, PowerPoint presentation and event planning, most of which cannot be learnt in lecture halls.
It also gave me a chance to gain work experience whilst at university, which I think will be highly valuable in my future job prospects. It allowed me to explore what I liked and did not like; hence, I was able to gain a better understanding of what I want to do in the future.’
Would you recommend other students take part in a placement?
‘I would definitely recommend a placement to other students, especially those who want to learn beyond the classroom and gain practical experience in the real world. While it was nerve-racking to be involved in something external to the University, the experience was one-of-a-kind and I was able to expand my network and make lasting connections with the people I worked with.’
A word from Devon, Founder of Self Agency:
‘Self Agency wants to shine a light on neurodiversity and ensure everyone has the tools to choose an inclusive approach. We seek to hold hands with and enable organisations to evolve their cultures.
Meeting Marsha, she has exceeded all expectations in the quality of her work, her work ethic, and her capacity for understanding. I am honoured to have had her on our team and to have been a part of her journey towards the many great things she will surely accomplish. Any organisation would be genuinely fortunate and enriched by having her on board.
Student placements in the community allow for a real experience of the workplace. To get the most out of the academic study of business, applying it to live, tangible and consequential situations is vital. It helps to shape your knowledge of self, learning what parts of work excite you and, maybe more importantly, what parts you’re not as interested in.‘
Devon Lowndes
Founder and Director of Self Agency
Management Reflection and Development in Practice is a second-year optional unit available to undergraduate students on the following courses in the Business School:
- Business & Management
- Economics & Management
- International Business Management
- Marketing.