What are the benefits of undertaking a placement through e-Placement Scotland?

8th Sep 2019

The importance of undertaking a paid placement should never be underestimated, there are many benefits for you as a student whether you look to do a 3 Month placement over Summer or you choose to complete a 12 Month long placement the life skills you learn are invaluable to your future career.  More and more employers are looking for experience as well as relevant qualifications when recruiting, even at graduate level and as such work placements have a hugely important part to play in your future employability.

So, what are the benefits of undertaking a paid placement through e-Placement Scotland?

• The opportunity to find out if you fit into an organisation type

Undertaking a placement is a great way to trial a company and their working style to see if it is indeed a good fit for you, this can save you time once you graduate as you will know which companies you will and won’t want to work for. It offers you a chance to decide if the sector, type of employer and industry are the right ones for you.

• The opportunity to experience the recruitment process before you graduate

More often than not, you will be required to undergo the same type of recruitment process with a paid placement as you would if you were going for a full-time permanent opportunity.  Many companies will even conduct, testing and assessment centres as part of their selection processes for placement opportunities.  By applying for placements, you are getting your-self ahead of the competition and gaining experience for knowing what to expect when the time comes to look for graduate careers.

• The opportunity to get practical experience

You will have something that many of your classmates will not have, practical experience so that you can put your academic skills into real life situations, this can be a valuable tool for projects and coursework.  The skills and knowledge you gain during your placement can help you achieve better grades in your studies, a little bit of practical experience can go a long way to helping you understand the academic side.  It will improve your future job opportunities – more and more employers are looking for practical work experience so even if you only have 3 months summer experience, you are more attractive than someone who has none at all.

• The opportunity to work on your soft skills

You will be given the opportunity to work in teams, meet deadlines, manage your work-load and practice your communication skills, all of which are key skills for any employer. You will gain first-hand experience of therefore strengthening your interpersonal and communication skills.

Most importantly, if you do a good job in your placement then there is always the chance that the employer will take you back for further placements, keep you on part time whilst you study or offer you a full-time position once your graduate

Remember, it is never too early or too late, to start looking for your perfect paid placement:

Check out our full list of current opportunities

You will be presented with opportunities to speak to employers at various points through the academic year and it is important to conduct research into when the types of employers you are looking to work for carry out their recruitment.

Many of the larger organisations recruit pre - Christmas for their Summer placements, once you have registered, make sure you sign up for job-alerts and e-mail notifications for events (you can do this via the subscriptions tab of your student portal) so that you will never miss out on the opportunities that are available to you.

Still not convinced a placement is for you? Check out some of our “Where are they now” Blog articles from past e-Placement Scotland students to see how undertaking a placement helped them.