Marketing student Harvey Bolton from Canterbury is in his third year at Kent Business School and is now enjoying a Year in Industry with a placement with Volkswagen in Milton Keynes. Here he provides his top tips to achieve your perfect work placement:
‘I thought it made perfect sense to opt for a Year in Industry, to earn a salary and gain experience. It was also an opportunity to move to a new area from my home town of Canterbury, meet new people and face new challenges. As someone who has Asperger’s Syndrome, change can be challenging for me, but I’ve always liked to push myself out of my comfort zone.
‘I wanted to work in marketing, but it had to involve automobiles, as they’re my passion. When my University’s employability team told me that Volkswagen were advertising for placement applicants, I just had to apply. The employability team at Kent put me in contact with my student mentor, who had been on the same placement for tips and advice. It was great to bounce ideas around to get my presentation off the ground and prepare for the group interview.
‘Having spent a week prepping my presentation on electric vehicles, I was nervous to begin my presentation but talking about cars meant I was in my element. When they called to say I was one of just 40 graduates to secure a placement, it was the most incredible feeling.
‘So I moved to Milton Keynes to work as a Commercial Executive for SEAT, managing the product in the UK market. I hope to develop expertise in strategy, problem solving, branding and data science, and to further my communication skills. Although a challenge, this year will be a great achievement for me.
‘To anyone considering an industry year, these roles are real employment opportunities with fair salaries and bundles of experience, so go for it!’
Harvey’s top tips for sourcing a placement
- If you are aiming high then start EARLY. The big FTSE 100 firms run their applications from September to December.
- Do not be ashamed of your work experience – any experience is better than none no matter how obscure it might be.
- Rejections must not hold you back; I had a ton of them! It is competitive but something will come your way and the process helps you develop your professional character.
- A smaller company may mean more experience. I wanted to work in the car industry, but a small local firm might offer more variety and a more challenging role. Do not rule them out.
- Use your first year of university to gain work-life experience. There is less pressure at this time, so work during the holidays and fill your CV with work and life experiences.