Placement years

[Ben]

I need a bit of input here as im racking my brains. Basically im doing an hons degree in Criminology & Forensic Science and have just started my second year and have been offered the chance of going on a placement year next year and then returning the following year to sit my final year and finish my degree.

It wont be within a Forensic science role but it will be within the science sector and it sounds pretty intriging actually but i cant make my mind up. Im not keen on the idea of having to wait yet another year before i graduate and finally get out of the education system however i fancy working full time for a year, getting the experience etc + it would look good on my CV

I needto make my mind up by next week and i cant decide, im leaning towards doing it but im put off of the thought and not being in the same class as my class mates im with now as ive bonded with em pretty well.....grrrr

Im going to see an autposy in a few weeks which should be interesting...

 

[mike]

Dont know if this affects the Criminology & Forensic Science sector much but a degree on its own means not much now days. Many organisations are looking for well rounded candidates with a degree and work experiance.

As for mates, if they are your mates you will stay close regardless if your on a gap year.

Mike

 

[Alienfish360]

do the placement year dude.

You get your degree, and a years work experience.

 

[Ben]

cheers for the straight up advice mike,i see what your saying but i disagree about saying a degree counts for nout it means less now than it did agree but its always good to have the experience, i think im gonna do it

 

[mike]

Didn't mean a degree means nothing, just less than it use to.

Im 3 weeks into my new job as a graduate, out of the 65 that joined the scheme i think only 15 are fresh from uni with only 2 not having done any work experience. The head of the Graduate recruitment said they had over 7500 applicants last year for 65 places, so it's getting tougher and tougher every day.

I didn't do a placement year at university and I really wish I had, would have made life so much easier when coming out into the real world.

Also you will find that many employers now will say that young straight out of uni graduates are unlikely to know what exact career path they want to follow compared to graduates who have some work experience. So when you start applying for jobs and the fatal question of 'were do you see yourself in X years?' is asked, have a specific job role in mind that you will want to aim for.

Mike

 

[mean micra]

benjamin, i had this exact problem....

basically this was to be my placement year, could not find a relavent placement to do with my course, and yes felt that another year then my final year til graduation was to long, seen as tho i'm in debt and need to save for my own place etc, etc...

im now completing my degree and looking for a job next year... i know i get loads of people saying im not gonna get a job without experience and that basically i will have a useless degree, but i also know of this happening every year to loads of students who have done well for themselves...

so all in all do whats best for you in your personal situation and remember an extra year now maybe worth it in the long run...

 

[micra man]

Our lass is doing a similar course at uni and she was not offered a year out, even though it said on the prospectus that it was a sandwich course. She was really disappointed about this as she wanted to do it to gain more knowledge in that area and also help her to decide which area she went into. I am on placement this year, and just working with other professionals is beneficial enough for experience alone. Its also giving me guidance to which area of IT I wana do when I do leave. Thing is when you go back for your final year, you will probably only be there for 8 months max, and you will meet new friends. If I was you I would take it... It will always give you the edge in an interview for a proper job over someone who hasn't done it if you can bring things away from the year.

 

[Retepetsir]

Do it.

I'm currently on my engineering placement and its invaluable experience

 

[Ben]

cheers for the advice guys, i have thought long and hard about it and im most probably going to do it, cheers for the input

 

[Britto_1.3Si]

as everyone has said it is good to do a placement as employers like that you have seen what it is about.
I am currently on a years placement but have handed in my notice to actually finish my degree as i have only been here for 3 months it all depends on if it is relevant to you if you think it isnt in the feild you want to go into then it wont be much use.. . Mine is an Instrument & Electrical Engineering placement at conoco phillips (very big company), but unfortunately the work they have me doing here i dont think will help me when i finish (basic secretarial work, no digs to any secretaries on here) eg put these in order of size. . . . nice one all my years of college and uni have prepared me for this:sleepy: but majority of time i sit round doing nothing mostly and thats why ive handed my notice in as if i dont do anything all year. . .what can i say to employers?
"Ive done a years work experience where i was mostly scouring Ebay and msn messenger", i doubt theyll be impressed.

just make sure its what you want and you think you will gain overwise there is no point

no joke this is my last week and . . . ive brought some dvds in to watch thats how little work i do lol.

 

[Layla]

degrees are actually meaning less and less these days, since the government decided any tom **** and harry can get a BA in David Beckham studies, which is the main reason i moved up to dundee; under the scottish sysytem i can get a "higher" degree which is still well thought of from a decent university.

work experience is pretty vital towards getting a degree related job if you are W/T a BA. i need to have atleast 6 months worth of teaching assistant experience before i am even considered on most PGCE courses in england. luckily they pay well

go for it benny boy, join the 9-5