Placement years help

b00kworm

I'm getting really worried about finding a placement for my 3rd year. I'm currently a second year Social Sciences student and have written many speculative letters to ask for a placement opportunites in the Bath/Bristol area. I really want to stay living in Bath but noone seems to be offering placements at all. Im not really fussed what the job is because I don't know what I want to do so if the worst happens and I hate it, at least I would know what I don't want to do after I graduate.

I'm looking for suggestions of where I could apply or other bits of helpful advice please.

MrsManda

What is it you are looking for? Are you tailoring your letters to the individual places you are applying to? How long a placement are you looking for? Paid/unpaid?
Have you spoken to your year tutor/university careers office to see if they have any contacts you could use?

I'm trying to find a summer research placement for this year. I do a science degree so it's probably a bit different but the advice we were given was to contact people who were working on projects we find interesting, explain why we were interested in what they were doing and ask if there was any chance they'd let us do a summer placement with them. I've sent a couple of emails prior to Christmas and will be contacting them again once university opens on the 4th. Despite the fact everyone I'm contacting is in roughly the same field with the similar research interests each of my emails are individually tailored to the individual in an attempt to make them realise I care about their subject rather than just want somewhere.

Not sure if that's any help to you though :-s

alwaysonthego_2

I am in my third year of an Educational Studies degree and I applied for my placement just after Christmas, in my 2nd year. I did not bother writing, I rang and spoke to my now placement with a team within the LEA. I am working with Gypsy Travellers helping to support them and their children and love it. I basically explained to them that from a module that I had studied that I would love the opportunity to work with GTs.

Peekaboo

Hey there,

I'd definatly recommend ringing people and asking. Also are you looking for paid or unpaid placements? Either way, I'd reccomend looking at Charities etc. if you have not done already.

There are plenty of websites around for business placements, and im pretty sure you could use them for a social sciences placement. Milkround I know has a search available, and prospects. I'd have a search around.

If you're in the Bath/Bristol area, I'd also talk to the universities and ask if they have contacts for student on placements at the moment. You might be able to get a foot in the door by talking to them.

Are you working in a degree-related part time job? Even some volunteer hours if you can fit them in.

To be honest, the best people to talk to are your course leaders and if you have a job-search service available make good use of it. It really is using this opportunity to build up your experience by taking even a few days in places that turn you down for the year long placement.

Whatever the case, don't expect miricles. I sent off 50+ applications all over the country and had interviews for 3, got offered 2 (and was waiting for an invitation for a 2nd interview with the 3rd). You won't get a lot of results, especially if you have such a small area as that. I tried to begin with, it's just not that easy. But you might have more luck with somewhere in a commutable distance.

Hope that gives some more of an insight, and good luck to you!!

Oldernotwiser

I'm probably out of date but why do you have to do a placement for a social science degree - particularly when it doesn't seem to matter what the job is?

The_One_Who

I would like to know that too ONW. I have never heard of anyone on a non-vocational course doing a placement year. And those who have placement years as part of their degree course usually get help in finding something nearby. Universities tend to have links with companies who can offer these, although it can be unpaid, which is to be expected nowadays.

alwaysonthego_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm probably out of date but why do you have to do a placement for a social science degree - particularly when it doesn't seem to matter what the job is?

My degree is non-vocational and I have to go on and do another PG course if I want to train up to a profession such as a PGCE or a MA SW. One of our modules in the 3rd year is a work placement one and we have to find our own placement, though we are doing a reflective diary and expected to write a reflective report.

Oldernotwiser

alwaysonthego wrote: »

My degree is non-vocational and I have to go on and do another PG course if I want to train up to a profession such as a PGCE or a MA SW. One of our modules in the 3rd year is a work placement one and we have to find our own placement, though we are doing a reflective diary and expected to write a reflective report.

But there's a big difference between a degree in Early Years (I think that's what you're doing) which is essentially a practical subject, as opposed to a Social Science degree, which isn't.

alwaysonthego_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But there's a big difference between a degree in Early Years (I think that's what you're doing) which is essentially a practical subject, as opposed to a Social Science degree, which isn't.

My degree minors in early childhood, my majority is in educational studies. Although as you say the module that I take in early childhood requires us to do observational visits to early years settings. The educational studies is mainly in essence modules based on social sciences such as psychology of learning and educational social policy.