Jess Johnson

• Role: PX (HR) Placement Student
• Placement Organisation: Volvo Car UK

There are huge benefits of undertaking a placement year. One benefit is that I gained so much knowledge of my subject area that I wouldn’t have learnt in the classroom, as so much of this profession is learnt on the job. Because of this, I feel I’ve grown as a professional and am now confident that this is the line of work that I want to be in – this is due to receiving great feedback, as well as how much I’ve learnt doing the job.

Another key benefit is the networking opportunities the placement gave me, as I met people that could potentially introduce me to other opportunities in the future. It’s also good to know that I’ve made great friends who have my best interests at heart and will help to try and keep me involved with the business even after I’ve left.

My placement enabled me to develop key employability skills, including being able to liaise with many different stakeholders at all levels, from directors to placement students. I now have high-level experience using two HR systems which many companies already use, which will help me stand out from the crowd. I’ve also developed many transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and public speaking, which I wouldn’t have had as much exposure to if I hadn’t done a placement year. Just completing a placement year gives you an employability boost, as employers know you’ve had the confidence to take a year out of study to do something that’s going to benefit you. That’s something to be proud of.

I understand it’s tough but my advice on finding a placement is to search around and take one application at a time. Often the advice is to apply to as many placements as possible, but that can feel overwhelming, and I believe you need to take it at your own pace to get the best out of the application. Put a personal slant on your cover letters so they can see your personality shine through and really take time to get to know each individual business, as I think it’s obvious when a cover letter has just been copied for each application. It’s very disheartening when you get turned down, but it just means that one wasn’t right for you – the placement I did was the first one I initially applied for out of several applications, so it will all work out! Also, if you get invited to an assessment centre and they ask you to prepare something, make sure it’s the best it can be, as this is when you can really stand out from the other candidates.

My biggest achievement from my placement year is being able to develop and implement a whole new placement programme for the next year of students joining the business. I’ve spent months developing it, thinking of things I wish I’d had, as well as things we could build on from my experience of working there. It’s slowly being implemented since the new students have started and I believe they’re finding it beneficial. Another big achievement is that a lot of people in the business didn’t see me as a placement student – they saw me as someone who was a key foundation in the team, and they wouldn’t shy away from coming to me for help. This was a goal of mine when joining the business as I didn’t want employees to have a preconception of my role – I wanted to be valued and I believe I achieved that. Finally, another achievement I’m proud of is winning the ‘Change and Innovation’ and ‘High Achiever’ award at the Placement Student Awards at the University. These were nominated by my employer, so it was great to hear the kind words they had to say about me, and it made me feel like I’ve made a difference to the company.

My placement year will be a massive help to me in the future as it’s given me so many experiences I can recall and link to different scenarios in job interviews. It also means when reviewing job descriptions, I can go through and tick off the areas I’ve gained experience in doing, which I never had before. It’s led me to so many great people which will allow me to keep my foot in the door at my placement provider, and I’ll be in their mind if they see any good opportunities that could be suited to me within their network of people.