Student Competitions
ASET runs two annual student competitions – The ‘Student Stars’ Blog Competition for students about to begin their placement year and the reflective Essay Competition for those who have recently returned to their academic institution.
Both competitions are launched each September and the winners are notified by end of October (Blogs) and end of February (Essays).
One of the primary aims of ASET is to promote the benefits of integrating work and learning. We therefore run these competitions to generate publicity material for placement staff, for them to highlight to future students the value of such opportunities. We also hope such undertakings will help students develop their reflective learning skills.
Blog Competition
New placement students are asked to compete to become our new "bloggers". The winners will be asked to write three 300-word "blogs" about their ongoing placement experiences, over the course of the academic year, with payment of £200 for completing all three.
For details of this competition, please see Student Stars.
Our Bloggers – Winning Entries 2008/9
ASET is please to announce the winners of its 2008/9 Student Stars blog competition. The winners are:
- Julia Lumley from Leeds Metropolitan University who will be doing her placement at Opera North.
- Lee Mackenzie from Nottingham Trent University who will be working for Edwards Duthie Solicitors.
- Charchita Misra from University of Leicester who will be doing her placement at Siemens Transportation Systems.
- Ami Sheerer from University of Westminster who will be working at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
The original entries and then the student blogs themelves will appear though the year, replacing the 2007/8 ones, in Decemeber, March and June.
Thanks to all the entrants and placement staff who helped promote the competition. The standard was very high and the judges really enjoyed reading about all the students' hopes and expectations for the coming year. We wish you all a successful and enjoyable placement.
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Jonathan Houston
Last Chance Saloon
There was a point in time when I believed that going on placement just wasn’t for me. Firstly I had left it late, very late. All my friends had all their plans mapped out for the next year, whilst I went through the end of semester exams with some uncertainty. I applied for three different placements advertised by Belfast Council, one in marketing, one in finance and one in events and was promptly offered the opportunity to attend three interviews. Things were looking up.
Living sixty miles away in Coleraine, I stepped outside the front door to be greeted by a flat tyre; eating up the extra time I had left to attend the interview. Heavy traffic, coupled with the earlier incident made sure that I was late – not the impression you want to give a potential employer.
The second attempt to gain a placement wasn’t much better as my car broke down on the way there, and I couldn’t make the interview. Just like the letter received after my first interview, the second was almost identical, displaying the corporate stamp on the envelope, and the ‘We regret to inform you’ typed on the paper inside.
I was left with one interview, my last chance. It was either going to be the one for me, or none at all. I left ridiculously early after my previous experiences, and arrived with time to spare. I was nervous, I knew if I didn’t perform well at interview I would be forced to make my part time supermarket job a permanent one.
Fortunately I was offered the job and now look forward to starting work, nine to five, with 20 days holiday to break the cycle. One of the major challenges facing me will be making the journey every morning by train and making sure I don’t sleep through my alarm at 6 am every morning, at least until the train timetable changes!
The area that excites me the most is seeing the theory become reality. I want to pick up skills that can only be learnt in a workplace, and not in the lecture hall. Above all else though, I want to find out whether this is the career path that I wish to follow. I have never felt called to a particular profession or a certain type of work. Is now going to be the time?
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Katy Marshall
Sink or Swim…
It was never really an option for me, that I wouldn’t exploit the opportunity to take a year’s work placement as part of my Public Relations degree. Making that decision was the easy part. The hard work really came when I started looking for a placement. The competition for advertised placements was incredible and it seemed everybody had the same idea about which companies to apply to speculatively – but that didn’t deter me.
So after weeks of filling out applications, tailoring my CV to perfection and becoming a pro at writing covering letters, I finally secured myself a year’s internship for the third year of my degree. Several daunting interviews and three mammoth treks to Basingstoke later, I took over as Communications & Public Affairs Intern for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Motorola.
Talk about throwing myself in at the deep end - I felt very confident going into the office on my first day; after all I was quite an intelligent individual and had gone through most of my academic life passing with flying colours. I shouldn’t have been so over confident! I learnt very quickly in that first week that I didn’t have a clue. Sure, I thought I did – in theory – but the practical application is so completely different. Even with the experience of several short-term placements, the prospect of spending a whole year at Motorola began to seem like a very high mountain to climb. I realised that working in Public Relations is certainly not how it’s painted by Samantha Jones!
And so very quickly I learnt to tread water… before long I actually found myself swimming. I settled into the team without a glitch and have already had the opportunity to work on some fantastic campaigns. I have begun to realise that the placement year is not about becoming incredibly knowledgeable. It’s about growing and developing as a person, discovering the direction you want to take your life and career, and building experience to help underpin your academic knowledge. I’m embracing every second of it and so far, loving my year at Moto.
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Zainab Rawat
My Year As A Sponge!
Finding a placement is tough, challenging but definitely worthwhile. After applying for several HR jobs and attending a fair few interviews, I was offered a placement with Siemens within their HR Department. I couldn’t actually believe it; with one month till the next academic year of University started I had finally secured a placement!
From my placement I hope to learn so much and gain so many experiences. We’re always told by Uni that if you undertake a placement you’re much more employable once you’ve graduated. This is why I was so determined to work for a year as part of my degree. Two of my cousins and a few friends I have met at Uni have undertaken placements and they gained so much from their experiences.
During my placement year I want to be a sponge! I want to absorb as much information around me as I can and then retain that information by squeezing the knowledge I have acquired with me. Therefore I will be a sponge with a difference because once all the information is squeezed out of me I will hang on to what I have learnt through my placement. This will happen again and again until my placement year is over. I will absorb information, squeeze the information and continue the process over and over again. I want my year in industry to act as a stepping stone for me, a chance for me to discover my strengths and weaknesses in a work environment and to investigate which areas of HR I particularly enjoy.
I think the experience will be an amazing opportunity. A chance to put theory into practice, to finally get a chance to show all the skills that I have gained from studying for soooo long! I want to learn so much from my placement – I want to improve my existing skills but develop them further. For example my communication skills – I want to strengthen them and have a more professional approach when I am speaking to colleagues, delivering presentations and dealing with customers. I want to be able to network successfully, and so much more.
I’m looking forward to the challenges that I will be faced with because this is an experience that will help me in the rest of my life and future! I’m looking forward to my year as a sponge!
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Jodie Smart
DEMANDing Aspirations
A year ago to the day I was so nervous knowing that I had to try and find somewhere for my placement and kept thinking about how competitive it was. But I was also nervous because I knew what sort of company I wanted to work for and you can’t always afford to be choosy!
My mum suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and so since being diagnosed I have seen first hand how much of a difference design can potentially make to people’s lives. So, being a “designer in training” my passion has been to help people through powerful design, by working for a company that designs for disability.
DEMAND is a small charity that designs and manufactures equipment for disabled people, where no off-the-shelf solution is available. However, it is also a non-profitable organisation, meaning the product that the individual receives is entirely free. How perfect I thought! As soon as the advertisement for the placement was posted up, I was drafting my covering letter and my CV. DEMAND was the only placement that I wanted.
Thankfully I received an email inviting me for an interview! I was so pleased and excited! I travelled down to Hertfordshire armed with my portfolio to my interview. It consisted of a tour of the building, being introduced to everyone and being shown current and previous projects. Then came the interview, which seemed to go really well. I loved it. After I’d left, I realised that I’d been in there for two and a half hours. I then started to panic wondering if that was a good or bad sign.
The following day I received a call from my placement tutor, congratulating me. I’d been offered the placement. Oh my goodness!!!! I was honestly over the moon. My first day was 3rd September. I was full of excitement! I was hoping that the placement would allow me to be exposed to all of the different processes of design, from meeting the individual I was to be designing for, to actually doing the design, computer modeling, manufacturing and the delivering of the product. I wanted to learn and experience these processes to help me become a better all-round, employable designer. I think the experience will make me even more aware of how design can be used as a tool in changing people’s lives and will make me even more passionate about wanting to pursue design for disability as a career.
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1st Blog (Autumn)
Jonathan Houston
A Walk in the Park
Although I find myself working in the Parks Section of Belfast City Council, placement is definitely not ‘a walk in the park’ as one of my ‘learned’ friends described it as before I started in August.
Firstly, my eyes have been opened to what the Council actually provides for people. The Parks Section alone is responsible for over 50 parks, estates and cemeteries including Belfast Zoo and Belfast Castle. I am part of the Business Support Team that functions as the name suggests, supporting managers and staff at these sites so they can provide a service of the highest quality to the people of Belfast and beyond.
One of the schemes that I am directly involved with is the Parks Events Small Grant Scheme, which awards grants to local community groups and charities who want to stage events for local people in one of the parks. These events often help to combat anti-social behaviour, usually caused by young people, by providing alternative projects, particularly at times like the ‘Parading Season’ when there can be a lot of tension in parts of the city.
One of my initial fears before starting placement was how long it would take me to settle into a new environment, with new people to work with and new challenges to face. I have to say that everyone has been ‘Tree’-mendous (as they say in the Parks Section) as they have endeavoured to make me feel really welcome and have always made time to answer any queries that I have.
I have had a lot learn in a short space of time, but have enjoyed every part of it so far. Hopefully there will be other projects and areas where I can push myself that little bit further – but for now – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Katy Marshall
An old cliché…
‘You learn something new every day’. A cliché it may be; however to describe it as fitting would be somewhat of an understatement.
Each and every day I’m faced with new challenges, tasks and opportunities that can’t be taught in a university lecture hall. It’s been an empowering experience so far; my team at Motorola have encouraged me to express my opinions, opened the door to a world of opportunities and allowed me to grow and develop my skills holistically. I couldn’t have hoped for more.
Without a doubt the transition from study to work has been tough, but I’m exploiting every opportunity I have, networking and doing the best job I know how. I’m still swimming!
They say ‘variety is the spice of life’. Not really sure who ‘they’ are, but I happen to agree all the same. My role at Motorola certainly allows for variety. I’ve been lucky enough to come into the organisation during times of change - and change isn’t always a bad thing! It’s meant my job has continually evolved since day one; I’ve got to try my hand at local PR, Corporate Communications, Internal Comms, Community Relations, Media Relations and Consumer PR. The variety is refreshing and already gives me a broad range of experience to take away from my placement.
I feel like part of the furniture at Motorola now, almost like I’ve been here forever – it’s hard to imagine going back to university and a completely different way of life; another step up the career ladder I feel!
If I blink I may miss the rest of the year; time is passing by so quickly. So I’m keeping my eyes peeled in order to make the most of everything to come my way. I love what I’m learning and loving my job!
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Zainab Rawat
First steps
I remember my first day like it was yesterday, even though I have been on placement for nearly four months! I'm learning so much about pensions and how there are so many processes involved and in my short time working on pensions my thoughts have changed significantly.
As a Business Support Assistant I get involved with all of the teams projects, as and when they need an extra pair of helpful hands to their projects and workloads. Although the team’s official title is Pension Projects, I get involved with projects which are not pension related such as Reward and Recognition, Health and Safety, Management Information Reporting, as well ad hoc duties such as website testing, arranging training and more! If you’re wondering what Management Information is all about –it’s basically a way of accounting for what projects the team will be working on over the year and providing a tool to allow management to tackle issues such as needing more employees and issues surrounding workloads.
I find new situations and new environments really interesting. Getting to know new people and being in new surroundings can be difficult and there are big differences between university life and working life which I think I’ve finally adjusted to! I like talking a lot, so getting to know my colleagues wasn’t too scary. I’ve found if you make the effort and get to know everybody, working will be more enjoyable and is also a great way of networking. I’m learning loads and one of the most important lessons I’ve learnt is everybody makes mistakes, and every mistake you make helps you to learn more gain new skills and knowledge. I’ve found at Siemens that if anything goes wrong the best thing to do is to be honest as there is a no blame culture.
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Jodie Smart
Smooth Transition
After being here now for four months I feel like I’m part of the furniture. I can’t believe how quickly I have turned from being a student to being what I’d like to think of as a “working professional”. Although I have to say, it’s taken me a while to get used to finishing at 5pm and not having to go home and do Uni work.
As I had hoped, my role as Junior Designer holds a whole spectrum of responsibilities. I am an active and integrated part of the team and I have my own projects which I manage and work on. In all of these projects I get to go out on the assessments of the individuals that I am to be designing for, do the design work, model my designs on the computer modelling software, help with the manufacturing where I can, and finally deliver the project to my client. I also get to help the other designers with their projects.
This is an enormous amount of responsibility and I have to say that I am thriving on it! But aside from this, I always have the Design Team making sure that I am alright, and I can always turn to them for their advice and expertise.
I’m also learning a whole new language: “work shop”. It has been a learning experience in itself trying to re-iterate to the craftsmen what I want them to make. Although the working drawings state all of the information, it is also important that they understand what the product is being designed to do, and so that’s where my language is developing.
I have met so many different individuals with hugely varying disabilities and I’m so proud that I am able to improve their everyday life with my designs. I am really thrilled with all of the work I’ve completed so far and am looking forward to what challenges the New Year will bring my way!
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2nd Blog (Spring)
Jonathan Houston
Time flies
They say that time flies when you’re having fun and it seems like no time at all since I was writing my last blog! I am now three quarters of the way through my time in Belfast City Council and have recently had a scheduled visit from my university placement tutor, which I am happy to report went very well! I have been really busy over the past few months and have been getting increasingly involved in many important areas. This has included the development of practical testing in regard to recruitment and presenting reports to senior management about the increasing vandalism being experienced in the parks across the city.
Another problem created by vandalism is the amount of overtime being used by managers to help combat the issue. Extensive use of overtime costs the Council thousands of pounds each year and it is partly my responsibility to implement policies to bring the level of vandalism and the costs of overtime down. One of the most recent initiatives has been to get local police officers to partner up with many of the park rangers to train them in the best ways of dealing with anti-social behaviour. These initiatives however further contribute to the overtime cost problem, making the whole issue look like a bit of a Catch 22 situation! I have to say though that I look forward to the challenge facing us as a department and know that it will be very satisfying to see the number of incidents and subsequent costs begin to fall.
I’m really looking forward to my remaining time here as I know that there will still be so much more to learn and challenges to overcome!
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Katy Marshall
Getting my kicks with golden balls…
People often assume that PR is simply about parties and celebs; it’s not! Nor is at all Ab Fab or Sex in the City! It’s a cut throat, highly pressurised industry, where being on the ball is key! Occasionally however, due to the nature of the business, a PR professional’s path will cross with that of a celebrity pin-up. I had my chance to rub shoulders with one such star at a Motorola event in January.
The event was part of a competition run by Motorola, in which more than a hundred lucky winners from around the globe got their chance to train at the David Beckham Academy in Greenwich, and meet the man himself.
It was an absolutely fantastic opportunity in terms of PR experience; I was on the ground managing regional radio interviews, media enquiries, liaising with our PR agency, David and his agency, working with a film crew and photographers and ensuring the event went as smoothly as possible from a Motorola standpoint. It was a long day and hard work, and certainly wasn’t as glamorous as it all may sound!
There was a huge amount of background work to the event too; developing strategy, planning and preparations, organising crew, warming up media etc., while keeping all involved parties happy – not an easy task… I now realise just how many legal implications there are with holding an event like this, especially when it comes to celebrity endorsement.
As a Motorola Global Ambassador, the relationship between David and Motorola is determined by a set of guidelines – adhering to the rules and ensuring an event like this is a success from all parties’ perspectives creates huge challenges. It certainly opened my eyes to a whole other area of PR!
Working with Mr. Beckham is just one of the amazing opportunities I’ve been given since starting at Motorola last June. I’m still continually learning about my chosen profession and the industry I want to make a name for myself in.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, David really is as good looking in real life!
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Zainab Rawat
Plan of Plans
Plan of Plans was one of the projects I was given when I first started. I was given this job because the team wanted a way of forecasting what tasks all my colleagues on the team would be working on over the next few months. This would help address areas such as resource availability, as well as being able to monitor what projects the team are working on.
I arranged meetings with all my colleagues to find out what they thought they would be spending their time on over the next three months and then recorded all the information onto Microsoft Project. I had used Microsoft Project briefly at university but I wished I paid more attention as my skills were not very advanced! Microsoft Project can be very crazy at times - it has a mind of its own, which created a love/hate relationship between it and me. I found using Project very challenging as I wasn't very familiar with the programme and I had to document every task and their expected duration.
A few weeks later several of us on the team received training on it, which developed my skills further and helped me to understand where I was going wrong. As I began using Project before I received the training, I had been able to teach myself how to use it, which surprised me. My colleagues were happy with the work that I had completed. I am now much more confident about using Project and I am now a Project Administrator for Project Merlin. The way they name projects is kind of strange - I always think of wizards whenever I hear Project Merlin!
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Jodie Smart
What a couple of months!!
In September I was introduced to Martin Newman (MBE) who runs a charity called Katie’s Ski Tracks, along with his partner Michelle Dooley. Katie's provide skiing holidays of a lifetime for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, be it through disability, terminal illness, extreme social problems or sickness.
Demand have completed several projects for Katie’s, from Ski frames enabling disabled children to ski, to general maintenance of equipment. Projects were discussed for Katie’s next trip in February. I was allocated a project but also asked if I’d be interested in travelling with Katie’s as a helper for the week - I jumped at the opportunity!!!
Over January I was busy designing my Ski Tip Connectors which would be used by the Ski Guides and the children and by 22 February I was ready to go.
As a helper I was one of 27 adults accompanying 20 children. I was assigned to a child and had to make sure that I generally looked after her as if she were my own. I literally had to attend to not only her everyday physical needs, but also her emotional needs. The team worked together to help each other, so I always had other people that I could ask for help and advice.
To see my designs in use was brilliant for me as a designer and has been a highlight of my placement. I was able to discuss with the professional Ski Guides about other possible projects and ways in which I could improve my designs. This constant feedback from the users was excellent, as was seeing how design can give people opportunities and experiences that they’ve never had before.
It was incredible to see the children flourish over the 10 days, their whole attitudes to life changed! It was a challenging and exhausting week. I made some brilliant friends and found it was a life changing experience for me, as well as an emotional rollercoaster.
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3rd Blog (Summer)
Jonathan Houston
All’s well that ends well
It’s hard to believe that it was a year ago that I was starting out on a year’s placement, looking forward to all that lay ahead. As I write this final blog I have exactly one week left to go, and as I prepare to hand over to the next student, the realisation that this rollercoaster ride is about to come to a halt starts to become reality. It is with satisfaction and enjoyment that I look back over the challenges and experiences that I’ve come through and I have to thank all of my colleagues for making me feel really part of the team.
I have enjoyed working in a public sector environment where the actions of the department directly affect the community, for better and for worse. I have felt a real responsibility towards the community and have worked hard to promote the groups and events that work towards improving people’s health and cross-community awareness.
I think that the past year will help inspire me to give my all as I try to achieve the highest degree possible so I can re-enter the environment I am leaving. I believe that I will take a much more diligent and structured approached to studying, paying attention to detail as this is what is required in the real working world!
I imagine that I may find it difficult to go back to university next year as I have definitely become accustomed to both the pay and having every evening and weekend free. I will definitely have less time to myself as I try to balance study with part-time work, as well as some kind of social life. I would recommend going on placement to anyone as it is a great experience and should also enhance the probability of finding the job you desire. I will definitely look forward to graduating next year, and hopefully the perfect job will waiting for me!
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Katy Marshall
Looking back, moving forward…
Over the past year I’ve been on one incredible journey. It’s not all been plain sailing, but the level of experience I’ve gained was is simply astounding. Not only has my time at Motorola provided me with an opportunity to gain experience of working within the consumer sector as part of an in-house team, but it provided me with a platform that allowed me to demonstrate my ability and raise my profile with a vast number of key stakeholders. I’ve been able to gain ground within the PR industry, build an invaluable contact base and construct an in-depth understanding of the PR world.
Throughout my academic life I’d always aspired to working for myself in a consultancy capacity, either freelance or running my own agency. Living and working in the corporate world has far surpassed all my expectations. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being the client and working in-house at a huge multinational organisation. In this world the somewhat extravagant and ridiculously expensive execution of a campaign is the norm, the seemingly impossible becomes reality and I’ve seen how I can be a fundamental part of making that happen.
I’m more than sure that I’ll find the transition back to university a challenge. It feels now, at the end of my placement, almost as if I’ve been playing at being a grown up for the past year.
My approach to my final year studies will be much more professional, I aim to adopt a more structured approach to developing my skills further and explore subjects beyond the immediate for better enhancement of my knowledge base. Going forward I’ll treat my degree as I would manage a campaign, focusing on the fine details of every element to ensure it comes together seamlessly.
I have a lot of people to thank for the opportunity I’ve been given at Motorola - I’ve got a better chance now of graduating with that degree classification I’ve always been aiming at – a First. My biggest imperfection is my being a perfectionist; Moto hasn’t managed to change that. But it’s always nice to have a goal…
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Zainab Rawat
The end of life as a sponge!
Having worked in Pensions (yes pensions, and no it's not as bad as it sounds!) for a year I have been exposed to an environment I had never had any experience of before. I started my year thinking of myself as a sponge and I feel that I have been able to absorb so much from my placement year and will definitely retain everything I have learnt.
Having been on placement I definitely feel that my plans for final year have been influenced heavily - I am so much more determined to succeed and achieve the best results that I can. Before I came on placement I felt that I had very strong communication skills, but I feel that my presentation skills could be improved. Having attended several meetings and observed colleagues presenting I feel this is an area that I would like to improve further.
My plans for my future career have been influenced as I have been exposed to an industry that I would never have considered before. I have also realised the importance of being assertive and having the ability to work as a strong team member.
Before placement I was very sure that I wanted to have a career in Human Resources once I graduate, but now I am looking at other options. I also felt that I should apply for graduate schemes but I am now thinking about other options for my career after graduation.
I would definitely recommend undertaking a placement as you are able to broaden your horizons and gain exposure to an industry, as well as increasing your knowledge. I was very fortunate to have found my placement with Siemens and have spent the year with amazing colleagues who I have learnt so much from. I'll never forget my year at Siemens.
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Jodie Smart
Final Leg
I can’t believe that this is my last blog but, as you can probably imagine, this year has flown by. It really is quite amazing how quickly time passes you by, which is all the more reason why you’ve got to make the most of everything, which is what I feel like I’ve done whilst being on placement.
I‘ve found this year so challenging in so many ways and am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it. The projects that I’ve been involved with have been hugely varying and have tested not only my designing skills but a whole host of other skills which I’ve never really had to apply to my work until this year.
I feel as though I’ve identified my strengths and weaknesses as a designer and so have been able to use this year to really push myself to try and be the best designer I can be. I have also identified certain things which I miss from my University work, such as the research side of things, which I am looking forward to getting back into.
This placement had really prepared me for my final year of study in that I feel my working manor is now more methodical and I’ve more of an improved knowledge on materials, their properties and fabrication methods, which will dramatically benefit my design work.
With regards to my career – well it’s going to come around faster than I think, but this placement has made me realise what areas of design that I want to pursue after graduation. I still have my ambition of wanting to complete a Master’s degree and I am currently researching into what courses are out there that suit my design interests and ethos.
This has been a full rounded placement which has allowed me to practise in all aspects of design and so has helped me make more defined decisions about my future. Thank you for reading my blogs and have a great summer!!!
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Essay Competition
For all returning placement students, the essay competition offers a chance to write retrospectively about their placement experiences and help inform others about the benefits of undertaking a work placement. The winning 900-word essay will be awarded a £700 prize.
For details of this year's competition, please see Essay Competition.
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Essay Winner
The 2007 Essay Competition has been won by Clare Dinham from the University of Surrey. Clare is studying psychology and undertook her placement at a psychiatric in-patient unit for children in London. Congratulations to Clare who will receive the £700 prize. Thanks to all the entrants who made the judges' job very difficult (yet equally pleasurable).
In addition the judges wish to give special commendation to Joshila Oree from Brunel University who will receive a runner up prize of £200. Joshila spent her placement working as an electronics engineer with 3M in Bracknell.
Clare Dinham's Award Ceremony (May 2008)
Clare with SCEPTrE Director, Professor Norman Jackson
Clare and her parents
Clare's Winning Entry
Learning To Be: A True Integration
Only by asking “Why?” do we ever discover the reasons behind anything. Familiarity with a subject does not necessarily mean understanding, which is why it is important to enquire about the subject in order to discover the meaning. University is an experience many young people embark on as the first step to discover more about their chosen topic and themselves.
I chose to study psychology as I felt that regardless of what profession I entered in the future I would always need to be able to relate to and understand other people! Through lectures, coursework and exams I have become more familiar with my subject and possess a greater knowledge of it. I soon realised my passion for psychology and thirst for new information, especially regarding abnormal psychology, mental illness and specific learning difficulties, which led me to look into a career in clinical psychology. However, has this lead to an understanding of my subject and the role of clinical psychologists?
My placement year was the next big step I took to enquire more about psychology, which allowed me to further explore and discover from a different point of view. My placement allowed me to become aware of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are needed to become a successful ‘enquirer.’ It has also allowed me to discover why I want to pursue a career in clinical psychology for my own personal reasons.
I worked for eight months at a psychiatric in-patient unit for children in London. The multi-disciplinary team (MDT) provides a therapeutic environment to approach the children about their challenging behaviour, mental health and emotional problems. During my placement I was faced with some demanding children and difficult situations, but with the help, support and guidance from the MDT I was able to develop my ability to be creative in my problem solving, so that I could reach the children on a level they understand. Before I started my placement I did not really appreciate the emotional rollercoaster that becomes part of daily life within the mental health profession. Working with people who are mentally ill can be incredibly stressful and emotionally draining, as one will inevitably encounters people who need a lot of support and care. It can also be very frustrating because it can be hard to ‘get through’ to patients, as it takes a long time to build a trusting relationship with them. Yet, working within the mental health profession is very enjoyable and allows one to feel a sense of achievement. This is the most important discovery I made of people who are mentally ill and the professionals that work with them.
Encountering this feeling whilst working with the mentally ill has led me to further enquire why I had this sensation and how this affects my career choice. A common question in an interview is “Why are you applying for this position?” and the common clichéd answer for jobs within the mental health is “Because I want to help people.” This is a bland statement that will not lift you above from the crowd and the competition. However, when I think hard about the true answer to this question, it really is because I want to help people! Many people may see me and others on a personal crusade to ‘save the world.’ However, I see it as a personal search for meaning and purpose within a professional and academic setting. It is the search for that ‘feel good’ factor that one personally discovers through the investment and time spent helping people in a professional way whilst at work. This further highlights how enquiry leads to a discovery of the reasons behind my actions and therefore a true understanding of myself on both a personal and professional level.
As a result of my experience at university and my placement, I now appreciate what it means to ‘enquire.’ I am now aware that familiarity with a subject, such as psychology, does not necessarily mean a full understanding of the subject. This is because during my first two years at university psychological theories and research were often something I passively read and learnt about. It was only during my placement year that I realised these theories and research are actively part of how the professionals approach patients and their work.
I am pleased that I have had the opportunity of a placement year to seriously consider this as I feel I am in a better position to make an informed decision about my future career plans based on a broader understanding of the work clinical psychologists are involved in and not just an awareness of their role. Furthermore, I have become involved with research through my final year project and also now realise the impression that research can have. Many psychologists make a big impact on people and it was only through working alongside the MDT in a mental health setting that I really appreciated this. My placement has assured me that I do want to work within the mental health profession. This is because I find it rewarding and fulfilling on a professional, academic and personal level.
Overall, I think a placement year is invaluable as I have learnt so much, not only more about particular mental health problems and the roles of clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals that work with them, but also about my personal reasons for working in this area.
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