Silent Advantage of Placement Years in UK Degrees

If you are considering studying in the UK and not sure what a placement year is, here is what you want to know about it. You spend about a year during or after your degree working somewhere that pertains to your field. It may sound like “just extra time,” but this is a small option that makes big differences especially for international students, such as yourself, who need job-ready experience, all this possible without IELTS.Think about it. You learn something like computer science or marketing, and then you get to apply what you know about in real life with a UK-based company before even getting out of the classroom. That means you are not learning from books or lectures, you are doing the job and the best part? You do not need to wait until after graduating before getting a taste of working in the UK.  A lot of students say, ‘I just need to get the degree quickly.’ But graduates with a placement year usually come out ahead again when it comes to job-seeking. “Graduates go directly into the workforce, it shows employers not only what you learned and how well you did in school but that you have already worked in this field. You learned how to be responsible for showing up on time, talking in front of clients or teams and solving real-world problems. All of which makes your resume more powerful than most. Whether you plan to stay and work in the UK or head back home with a job offer in hand, a placement year gives you something other students do not always get experience that counts. Why Do UK Universities Have Placement Years? The Uphill Battle of a Skills-Based System UK degrees often offer a “sandwich course,” which adds a year of work between academic years. It is called a sandwich not because of food but because between those slices of study work is inserted. Making Learning Useful This gives students a way to put their classroom lessons into practice. Instead of simply memorizing theories, you get to use them which makes everything click in a whole unusual way. Real Industry Examples: How Our Students Got It Done Tech Senior Lands IBM Job Meet Sanya from India. She was studying computer science in Manchester and had opted to take a placement year. She wound up working at IBM as a junior developer. Her team trained.her how to troubleshoot live software problems, participate in daily check-in meetings and complete assignments that have real deadlines. Upon graduation, she was hired full time immediately. A Fashion Brand Where a Marketing Student Gets Creative Another international student, Arjun, did his placement at a fashion startup in London. He worked on some social media campaigns and even had a chance to lead one. By the end of the year, he not only had something impressive on his portfolio but also knew what type of job he enjoyed best. That helped him focus on his applications. What is in it for You, The Actual Goodies. Strong ProfileTo employers, one year of real work is important. Not only will you have stories to share in job interviews, but those stories give you a crucial edge. Better Understanding of Work Culture Working in the UK lets you know how people communicate here and what that local culture means when it comes to working life. More Time to Build Connections Through the placement, you will meet people who may be able to assist with jobs later either by hiring or recommending you. Earning while you learn opportunity. Most placement roles are paid. That is because you might be able to pay for part of your living expenses and still get paid while getting an education. Things to Keep in Mind Not all courses are available with placement years, so you will need to make sure when applying. You might even have to apply for placement roles, just as you would a regular job – with a (resume), cover letter and interview. Spend some time researching your course options and talking to the university support staff. You may find that in a contentious job market, this one extra year is your secret sauce.