Rate My Placement - Top Employers Guide 2012/13

In the coming weeks, students up and down the country will begin their placement search in earnest. While some of them will have already identified the companies they plan to apply to, others will be looking for information sources to assist with the decision making process. During the autumn term, my students will come into contact with a number of employers through placement lectures and careers fairs which helps to raise their awareness of some of the opportunities that are available. I also like to run ‘speed-dating’ sessions where returning students are available to share their experiences with placement seekers, providing insight into what it is like to work as an intern within their respective organisations.

While all of this provides a strong grounding to help my students to make informed decisions, I am always receptive to new resources that enhance the provision I offer. One such publication which I am very pleased to distribute to my students comes from Rate My Placement, who has just released the latest version of the Student’s Guide to The Top Placement & Internship Employers. The 2012/13 edition is 164 pages crammed full of advice, industry insights plus all of the details of the companies who were ranked as the Top 50 Placement & Internship Employers.

The table is compiled based upon placement reviews submitted by interns who have worked for the companies, and so this guide is essentially put together by students for students. Rate My Placement co-founder Oliver Sidwell explains the benefit of their giant bank of student placement reviews  - “We pride ourselves on being able to provide students with access to the information they really want to know about a company but are probably not going to find on a corporate website. This unique TripAdvisor style approach to placements and internships ensures students make better informed decisions when placing their first step on the career ladder.”

So which companies are rated by students as the Top Placement & Internship Employers? Well, as the infographic below illustrates, the banking and professional services industries dominate the top 10, with Barclays taking the crown from last year’s winner Grant Thornton. Jane Clark, head of campus recruitment, corporate and investment banking at Barclays said “we’re delighted that our programmes have been given such high recognition - to be rated top by the students who have ‘been here and done it’ is a great accolade for us.”     

Aside from the bigger names, Rate My Placement also include details of the best medium-sized and small to medium-sized employers, which I think is very important as placements within smaller organisations are just as valuable as working for a household name, and in some cases can offer broader experience and levels of responsibility. 

While I'm very happy to promote this publication to my students, it is not without its faults. I would not expect to see too many employers feature from more niche industries such as product design or the creative arts, but for other disciplines there is a dearth of employers in the Top 50. For example, aside from GSK who rank inside the Top 10, plus Cancer Research and Unilever, there is relatively few companies from the scientific industries which comes as a surprise given how many pharmaceutical companies offer placements and internships. Likewise, engineering seems somewhat under represented, with only Cummins, National Grid and BP flying the flag. With that in mind, Mechanical Engineering students may prefer to stick to the Gradcracker toolkit for information and advice more specific to their industry.

Those issues aside, the Guide remains essential reading for students who are looking for placements or internships, particularly from business, numerical or IT courses. Expect to find plenty of copies in your Placement or Careers Service, or if Rate My Placement are attending your Freshers' Fair be sure to say hello and grab yourself a guide. If you can't wait for a hard copy and want to check it out now, you can view the guide below.

The Strategic Fresher

September. A month that signifies the summer has been and gone (did it actually turn up?). The days get increasingly shorter and for thousands of school leavers up and down the country, a cocktail of nervous tension, excitement and anticipation builds inside them as the day draws closer to pack their bags and head off to university. Awaiting them is the beautiful chaos that is Fresher’s Week; that bizarre blend of queuing for ID cards, poster sales, getting acquainted with housemates at the Union bar and integrating into life on campus. My personal recollection of the first few days I spent at university is predictably sketchy. I know I drank more than I had probably ever done so before and signed up for a whole range of random groups and societies, most of which I never engaged with beyond handing over a membership fee at Fresher’s Fair. Fortunately I went to university before the days of social media, so don't have to be constantly reminded with photographic evidence of some of the sillier things I got up to.

The nature of my job means that my interaction with first year students is somewhat limited. I may get wheeled out to introductory lectures or given 5 minutes shout outs to extol the virtues of placements, but by and large the first time I engage in meaningful dialogue with my students is at the start of the second year of their studies. When going through the first drafts of CVs, it is pretty easy to identify the students who made the most of their first year. Believe it or not, the decisions taken in the first couple of weeks at university can have a big impact on your ability to secure a placement.

With that in mind, here is my strategic guide for Fresher's.

Sign up – Fresher’s Fair is more than just a chance to acquire freebies. By all means get yourself bagfuls of gratis energy-saving light bulbs, sweets, pens and energy drinks, but also make sure that you get signed up to clubs or societies with one eye on how they can benefit your CV and future applications. If you’re looking to work in business, think about joining the Entrepreneur society. Sports teams can provide you with opportunities to develop teamwork and leadership. More quirky societies such as Clubbing or Anime Appreciation can still add value to your CV if you get involved with the management team, though just be wary about how things may look to an employer. There isn’t going to be much professional value for example in saying you’re an active member of a beer drinking society.

Power to the people – If there are opportunities to volunteer as a course or class rep, put yourself forward for the role. You’ll get to attend meetings with your department, giving the chance to develop your communication skills, particularly in liaising with heads of school. You may get to pitch ideas, find solutions to problems or disseminate news to your classmates. Somebody will be able to put all of these down on their applications, so grab the opportunity should it arise.

Don’t drop the ball – In those first few weeks at university, it can be very easy to get dragged along to every single event. Night after night of excess is not only going to affect your bank balance but could be detrimental to your learning. Ignore any concept of taking the first year easy. Even if your modules bear no credits for your degree it is in your best interests to get off to a good start. When you apply for placements, you will find that most of the big companies only want to hear from students who are on course for a 2:1 or better. At the start of your second year, the only evidence you have to support you on this is the transcript of your first year grades, so put aside any notion of taking it easy and merely passing the course. Get your head down early, engage with your modules and do yourself justice in your coursework and exams.

Fill in the blanks – If your CV is lacking in work experience, get yourself along to your JobShop and see what is available. There may roles going on campus, either within catering, the Union, academic departments or the library. Student Ambassador roles for open days are a perfect opportunity to build your confidence in public speaking through giving campus tours to prospective students and their parents. Lots of universities now offer Employability Awards, helping their students to develop skills and experience to help them secure employment beyond graduation. Taking advantage of these opportunities will not only bolster your CV but also give you examples to use on placement application forms.

The opening weeks of your time at university will be a blur of emotions and experiences. In amongst the late nights, socialising and acclimatising to your new surroundings, don’t lose sight of the reasons why you are there; to develop your knowledge and learning, and to put yourself in the shop window for graduate employers. What you choose to do even in those crazy days of Fresher’s Week can make a tangible difference to your chances of successfully securing a placement. Enjoy the ride, but not too much.

Inspiring the next generation

Thomas Edison once defined genius as 'one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration'.

Of the many stories that emerged from the competitors at London 2012, the tale of Bradley Wiggins was the one that struck the greatest chord with me. As a boy, he watched cyclist Chris Boardman ride his way to gold in Barcelona and was inspired to take up the sport. 20 years of hard graft later and Wiggins is not only a winner of 7 Olympic medals but earlier this year became the first British winner of the Tour de France. Clearly old Tommy was onto something with his lightbulb moment.

When it comes to helping my students to secure a placement, I operate within the ninety-nine per cent range. Collectively we put in the hours to achieve a mutual goal; they want to gain work experience, I want them to take advantage of all the benefits a placement can offer to their early careers. My role entails providing advice and guidance, building relationships with industry and empowering the students to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to them. Ultimately the bulk of the hard work rests on the shoulder of the student. I can't force them to attend placement lectures, make applications or attend interviews, so for my students to be successful they either need to be self-disciplined, or retain suitable levels of motivation.

So who or what provides students with their inspiration? Some may look up to icons of industry such as Richard Branson or the late Steve Jobs. Others will have mentors or relatives to point them onto the path to success. There will however be a great number of students in my lectures that have yet to find their spark and I see it as my job to provide this.

Now, before you start pounding your keyboards in frustration at this overt big-headedness, I probably need to explain myself. I'm not going to pretend to be responsible for my students having a Eureka moment. Nor would I ever expect to deliver that all important one per cent. However, while I may not be the person who lights the fuse, wherever possible I do try to provide the touchpaper.

In my experience, students often gain more inspiration from their peers than they get through industry professionals, or indeed the humble Placement Officer. When companies come to deliver presentations as part of my placement modules, I encourage them to send along one of their current interns. The audience can better relate to seeing one of their own talking about their placement experience, while the presenting student is able to talk through their placement search that will have begun a year earlier in the very same lecture theatre. When promoting placement opportunities, I like to include a profile from a student who has previously worked in the role, to give generic job descriptions a more personal feel which my students can identify with. Better still, they may be happy to be contacted informally by prospective applicants, opening the doorway for networking opportunities. Placement students that share insights from their work experience and placement journey provide context; a living, breathing example of what can be achieved through engaging with sandwich placements.

Inspiration can come in many forms. For the 12 year old Wiggins, watching the Olympics changed his life forever. Sourcing inspiration when looking for placements doesn't have to come from such a defining moment, but rubbing shoulders with fellow students from the same course who have successfully secured a placement may be all that you need. After all, if they can get a placement and be successful, why can't you?