Placement help please :)

b00kworm

Hi, I'm currently studying Social Sciences at uni (just finished my first year), and am looking for a placement for my 3rd year. I don't really know what I want to do afterwards so am willing to try anything for the year, I am interested in social policy/research but a business related placement would be good as well.
Having said that I really want to stay in the Bath area (possibly going as far as Bristol) which obviously limits opportunities.It can't be an unpaid placement because I will need to pay rent etc.)

Having spoken to the placement tutor who told me I need to write speculative letters to organisations like the local council / NHS trust / and the Avon and Somerset Constabulary as well as businesses like Future Publishing or Deloitte. My questions are;
1) what sort of work could I do??
2) any advice on writing a speculative letter and persuading them to offer a placement??

Please help I'm seriously getting worried about this

alwaysonthego_2

We have to do a placement for our third year but we did not get briefed until April, in our second year, and I have managed to secure a good placement with the Local Authority. I would say you have plenty of time to get letters out and ring around businesses.

You should do something you are interested in and my placement is based on some research I did which I found interesting.

b00kworm

alwaysonthego wrote: »

We have to do a placement for our third year but we did not get briefed until April, in our second year, and I have managed to secure a good placement with the Local Authority. I would say you have plenty of time to get letters out and ring around businesses.

You should do something you are interested in and my placement is based on some research I did which I found interesting.

Thanks, but part of the problem is that I don't really know what interests me, I liked the units on Social policy and the bit we did on health and welfare policy but I don't know what opportunities there are. If I did apply to the local NHS trust I don't know what sort of policy/ research they would do. Bath is not exactly a big city...

We start looking almost as soon as we get back in October, but I'm gonna be stressing about it until I have something done or at least decided on what to do...

What degree did you do?? and which department in the LA did you go?? not to be nosey or anything......:rolleyes:

alwaysonthego_2

b00kworm wrote: »

Thanks, but part of the problem is that I don't really know what interests me, I liked the units on Social policy and the bit we did on health and welfare policy but I don't know what opportunities there are. If I did apply to the local NHS trust I don't know what sort of policy/ research they would do. Bath is not exactly a big city...

We start looking almost as soon as we get back in October, but I'm gonna be stressing about it until I have something done or at least decided on what to do...

What degree did you do?? and which department in the LA did you go?? not to be nosey or anything......:rolleyes:

I am doing Educational Studies, we did a module in social policy and I must admit it went straight over my head (though I got a good mark lol). I have chosen to work in inclusion and I got the placement with the Traveller and Gypsy support team. I rang the department up and they got back in touch with me straight away.

In health there must be lots going on in relation to social policy such as privatisation (McDonaldization and mangerialism) and limiting treatment for the obese and smokers (I must be watching too much Holby).

Good luck!

b00kworm

alwaysonthego wrote: »

In health there must be lots going on in relation to social policy such as privatisation (McDonaldization and mangerialism) and limiting treatment for the obese and smokers (I must be watching too much Holby).

Thanks for the suggestions, they should probably have been kinda obvious I guess I should do a lot more research, I looked on the website of the local NHS trust but no indications of any policy research going on...

lol - too much Holby?!?!? surely you jest

alwaysonthego_2

b00kworm wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions, they should probably have been kinda obvious I guess I should do a lot more research, I looked on the website of the local NHS trust but no indications of any policy research going on...

lol - too much Holby?!?!? surely you jest

Try these for a starting point;

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm

http://www.eclaksa.nhs.uk/Uploads/45/Social%20Policy%20and%20Practice%20-%20how%20to%20search%20April%2007.pdf

Holby City is my favourite way to relax

mazza1985

sorry reread thread and was compeltely off course please ignore this!