3 month VS 12 month placement??
Hi all,
I am in the middle of my engineering degree (just entered yr2), and I soon need to make a decision on whether to go on a placement year for 12 months.
Now it is either that, or a 3 month summer placement which I was initially thinking of, however I have been told by a lecturer at university that the 12 month placement would shine on a CV in comparison to a "measly" 3 month one - so I just wanted to get further opinions on this matter...
What is your opinion personally? Do you agree with the lecturer's opinion?
Thanks in advance.
I am in the middle of my engineering degree (just entered yr2), and I soon need to make a decision on whether to go on a placement year for 12 months.
Now it is either that, or a 3 month summer placement which I was initially thinking of, however I have been told by a lecturer at university that the 12 month placement would shine on a CV in comparison to a "measly" 3 month one - so I just wanted to get further opinions on this matter...
What is your opinion personally? Do you agree with the lecturer's opinion?
Thanks in advance.
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Sgt.Incontro
Hi all,
I am in the middle of my engineering degree (just entered yr2), and I soon need to make a decision on whether to go on a placement year for 12 months.
Now it is either that, or a 3 month summer placement which I was initially thinking of, however I have been told by a lecturer at university that the 12 month placement would shine on a CV in comparison to a "measly" 3 month one - so I just wanted to get further opinions on this matter...
What is your opinion personally? Do you agree with the lecturer's opinion?
Thanks in advance.
I am in the middle of my engineering degree (just entered yr2), and I soon need to make a decision on whether to go on a placement year for 12 months.
Now it is either that, or a 3 month summer placement which I was initially thinking of, however I have been told by a lecturer at university that the 12 month placement would shine on a CV in comparison to a "measly" 3 month one - so I just wanted to get further opinions on this matter...
What is your opinion personally? Do you agree with the lecturer's opinion?
Thanks in advance.
The engineering jobs market isn't so competitive that you need a whole year's experience to "shine". A 3 month placement is adequate if backed up with an overall decent application.
The thing about the year long placement is that it delays the the time it'll take you to earn a full graduate wage by a year.
If you're doing an internship for your CV and nothing else, do a summer placement. If you're doing an internship for yourself, do a year long one.
Advantages of doing a year long placement:
- Projects are more likely to be relevant and valuable to the business. Simple fact: even small projects can't be fitted into a 12 week period. It is common for companies offering summer placements to give their interns projects that have already been done before or don't impact the business because they can't afford to give them a better project when there is a decent chance they won't finish it/ leave lots of loose ends.
- Better integration into the company. People will find more time for you when they know you're not going to be gone in less than three months. If you're there for the year, you're less likely to have that "just the intern" mindset.
- Better idea of what you want from your career. This is important. It is a lot better to do a year at a company and decide it's not for you rather than reach the same conclusion after committing to a 2-4 year graduate scheme. All the people I know who have finished a year in industry have offers from the company and know for certain it's what they want, or they don't go back but have a much clearer idea of what they want to do when they graduate.
- Better employment prospects. This is a result of the first two points. Having a household name on your CV will be helpful for getting past initial screenings but someone who did twelve months is more likely to perform well in the assessment centres than someone who has done three, simply because they have four times as much experience.
- Wages will increase a lot faster for graduates who have done a placement year. Their experience will mean they hit the ground running in the graduate schemes while their less experienced counterparts are still finding their feet. Accounting for graduating a year later, there's not much difference financially between those who have done three month and twelve month placements.
I'm biased but I hope this helps.
Advantages of doing a year long placement:
- Projects are more likely to be relevant and valuable to the business. Simple fact: even small projects can't be fitted into a 12 week period. It is common for companies offering summer placements to give their interns projects that have already been done before or don't impact the business because they can't afford to give them a better project when there is a decent chance they won't finish it/ leave lots of loose ends.
- Better integration into the company. People will find more time for you when they know you're not going to be gone in less than three months. If you're there for the year, you're less likely to have that "just the intern" mindset.
- Better idea of what you want from your career. This is important. It is a lot better to do a year at a company and decide it's not for you rather than reach the same conclusion after committing to a 2-4 year graduate scheme. All the people I know who have finished a year in industry have offers from the company and know for certain it's what they want, or they don't go back but have a much clearer idea of what they want to do when they graduate.
- Better employment prospects. This is a result of the first two points. Having a household name on your CV will be helpful for getting past initial screenings but someone who did twelve months is more likely to perform well in the assessment centres than someone who has done three, simply because they have four times as much experience.
- Wages will increase a lot faster for graduates who have done a placement year. Their experience will mean they hit the ground running in the graduate schemes while their less experienced counterparts are still finding their feet. Accounting for graduating a year later, there's not much difference financially between those who have done three month and twelve month placements.
I'm biased but I hope this helps.
Original post by theengineer1
If you're doing an internship for your CV and nothing else, do a summer placement. If you're doing an internship for yourself, do a year long one.
Advantages of doing a year long placement:
- Projects are more likely to be relevant and valuable to the business. Simple fact: even small projects can't be fitted into a 12 week period. It is common for companies offering summer placements to give their interns projects that have already been done before or don't impact the business because they can't afford to give them a better project when there is a decent chance they won't finish it/ leave lots of loose ends.
- Better integration into the company. People will find more time for you when they know you're not going to be gone in less than three months. If you're there for the year, you're less likely to have that "just the intern" mindset.
- Better idea of what you want from your career. This is important. It is a lot better to do a year at a company and decide it's not for you rather than reach the same conclusion after committing to a 2-4 year graduate scheme. All the people I know who have finished a year in industry have offers from the company and know for certain it's what they want, or they don't go back but have a much clearer idea of what they want to do when they graduate.
- Better employment prospects. This is a result of the first two points. Having a household name on your CV will be helpful for getting past initial screenings but someone who did twelve months is more likely to perform well in the assessment centres than someone who has done three, simply because they have four times as much experience.
- Wages will increase a lot faster for graduates who have done a placement year. Their experience will mean they hit the ground running in the graduate schemes while their less experienced counterparts are still finding their feet. Accounting for graduating a year later, there's not much difference financially between those who have done three month and twelve month placements.
I'm biased but I hope this helps.
Advantages of doing a year long placement:
- Projects are more likely to be relevant and valuable to the business. Simple fact: even small projects can't be fitted into a 12 week period. It is common for companies offering summer placements to give their interns projects that have already been done before or don't impact the business because they can't afford to give them a better project when there is a decent chance they won't finish it/ leave lots of loose ends.
- Better integration into the company. People will find more time for you when they know you're not going to be gone in less than three months. If you're there for the year, you're less likely to have that "just the intern" mindset.
- Better idea of what you want from your career. This is important. It is a lot better to do a year at a company and decide it's not for you rather than reach the same conclusion after committing to a 2-4 year graduate scheme. All the people I know who have finished a year in industry have offers from the company and know for certain it's what they want, or they don't go back but have a much clearer idea of what they want to do when they graduate.
- Better employment prospects. This is a result of the first two points. Having a household name on your CV will be helpful for getting past initial screenings but someone who did twelve months is more likely to perform well in the assessment centres than someone who has done three, simply because they have four times as much experience.
- Wages will increase a lot faster for graduates who have done a placement year. Their experience will mean they hit the ground running in the graduate schemes while their less experienced counterparts are still finding their feet. Accounting for graduating a year later, there's not much difference financially between those who have done three month and twelve month placements.
I'm biased but I hope this helps.
I know there isn't really an answer for this (since its dependant on what you do) but none the less I will ask it anyway, What is better a BEng + placement or the MEng with no placement or experience (?)
(edited 10 years ago)
BEng + placement definitely
Just keep chartership in mind. If you do a BEng and want to become chartered you'll have to do an Msc or a number of short courses. Balancing that with a job can be difficult. Most employers would sponsor it but there's no guarantee.
Just check entry requirements for grad schemes. A few might insist on an MEng.
Just keep chartership in mind. If you do a BEng and want to become chartered you'll have to do an Msc or a number of short courses. Balancing that with a job can be difficult. Most employers would sponsor it but there's no guarantee.
Just check entry requirements for grad schemes. A few might insist on an MEng.
Original post by theengineer1
If you're doing an internship for your CV and nothing else, do a summer placement. If you're doing an internship for yourself, do a year long one.
Advantages of doing a year long placement:
- Projects are more likely to be relevant and valuable to the business. Simple fact: even small projects can't be fitted into a 12 week period. It is common for companies offering summer placements to give their interns projects that have already been done before or don't impact the business because they can't afford to give them a better project when there is a decent chance they won't finish it/ leave lots of loose ends.
- Better integration into the company. People will find more time for you when they know you're not going to be gone in less than three months. If you're there for the year, you're less likely to have that "just the intern" mindset.
- Better idea of what you want from your career. This is important. It is a lot better to do a year at a company and decide it's not for you rather than reach the same conclusion after committing to a 2-4 year graduate scheme. All the people I know who have finished a year in industry have offers from the company and know for certain it's what they want, or they don't go back but have a much clearer idea of what they want to do when they graduate.
- Better employment prospects. This is a result of the first two points. Having a household name on your CV will be helpful for getting past initial screenings but someone who did twelve months is more likely to perform well in the assessment centres than someone who has done three, simply because they have four times as much experience.
- Wages will increase a lot faster for graduates who have done a placement year. Their experience will mean they hit the ground running in the graduate schemes while their less experienced counterparts are still finding their feet. Accounting for graduating a year later, there's not much difference financially between those who have done three month and twelve month placements.
I'm biased but I hope this helps.
Advantages of doing a year long placement:
- Projects are more likely to be relevant and valuable to the business. Simple fact: even small projects can't be fitted into a 12 week period. It is common for companies offering summer placements to give their interns projects that have already been done before or don't impact the business because they can't afford to give them a better project when there is a decent chance they won't finish it/ leave lots of loose ends.
- Better integration into the company. People will find more time for you when they know you're not going to be gone in less than three months. If you're there for the year, you're less likely to have that "just the intern" mindset.
- Better idea of what you want from your career. This is important. It is a lot better to do a year at a company and decide it's not for you rather than reach the same conclusion after committing to a 2-4 year graduate scheme. All the people I know who have finished a year in industry have offers from the company and know for certain it's what they want, or they don't go back but have a much clearer idea of what they want to do when they graduate.
- Better employment prospects. This is a result of the first two points. Having a household name on your CV will be helpful for getting past initial screenings but someone who did twelve months is more likely to perform well in the assessment centres than someone who has done three, simply because they have four times as much experience.
- Wages will increase a lot faster for graduates who have done a placement year. Their experience will mean they hit the ground running in the graduate schemes while their less experienced counterparts are still finding their feet. Accounting for graduating a year later, there's not much difference financially between those who have done three month and twelve month placements.
I'm biased but I hope this helps.
Wow, this thread (which I created), is over 4 weeks old, yet I happened to re-stumble upon it by chance. Nonetheless, your guidance/opinion is still very much appreciated, so thank you for posting. (And despite the time, it is still relevant.)
Original post by Sgt.Incontro
Wow, this thread (which I created), is over 4 weeks old, yet I happened to re-stumble upon it by chance. Nonetheless, your guidance/opinion is still very much appreciated, so thank you for posting. (And despite the time, it is still relevant.)
what did you decide in the end? year or summer placements?
Original post by theengineer1
BEng + placement definitely
Just keep chartership in mind. If you do a BEng and want to become chartered you'll have to do an Msc or a number of short courses. Balancing that with a job can be difficult. Most employers would sponsor it but there's no guarantee.
Just check entry requirements for grad schemes. A few might insist on an MEng.
Just keep chartership in mind. If you do a BEng and want to become chartered you'll have to do an Msc or a number of short courses. Balancing that with a job can be difficult. Most employers would sponsor it but there's no guarantee.
Just check entry requirements for grad schemes. A few might insist on an MEng.
if I take a BEng with a year out, and lets say I manage to get into XXX company, if im then offered a permanent position prior to graduation and satisfactory results ofc, could you then work for that company and ask them to fund your masters or is that asking too much...
Original post by a10
what did you decide in the end? year or summer placements?
Summer placement. (Only one though - as this is my last summer before graduation.)
Upon further examination, I looked at the figures at my university - and pretty much exactly half of all students opted for the placement year. The other half, I don't know what they will do, one of my friends is also going down the same route as me.
Original post by a10
if I take a BEng with a year out, and lets say I manage to get into XXX company, if im then offered a permanent position prior to graduation and satisfactory results ofc, could you then work for that company and ask them to fund your masters or is that asking too much...
Lol, I think that is a bit too much. And plus, I don't think a Masters is really necessary - any form of internship + BEng is enough I'd reckon. I asked this at the careers fair at my University to all the large company reps, and that is what they pretty much said.
Original post by Sgt.Incontro
Summer placement. (Only one though - as this is my last summer before graduation.)
Upon further examination, I looked at the figures at my university - and pretty much exactly half of all students opted for the placement year. The other half, I don't know what they will do, one of my friends is also going down the same route as me.
Lol, I think that is a bit too much. And plus, I don't think a Masters is really necessary - any form of internship + BEng is enough I'd reckon. I asked this at the careers fair at my University to all the large company reps, and that is what they pretty much said.
Upon further examination, I looked at the figures at my university - and pretty much exactly half of all students opted for the placement year. The other half, I don't know what they will do, one of my friends is also going down the same route as me.
Lol, I think that is a bit too much. And plus, I don't think a Masters is really necessary - any form of internship + BEng is enough I'd reckon. I asked this at the careers fair at my University to all the large company reps, and that is what they pretty much said.
Hmm half is a lot, so in other words they would train you to be chartered with a BEng instead of the MEng? But i heard that it takes a little longer with a BEng but its still not impossible.
Good luck with the summer placement, you should be getting ready to apply as most companies are open now!
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by a10
Hmm half is a lot, so in other words they would train you to be chartered with a BEng instead of the MEng? But i heard that it takes a little longer with a BEng but its still not impossible.
Good luck with the summer placement, you should be getting ready to apply as most companies are open now!
Good luck with the summer placement, you should be getting ready to apply as most companies are open now!
Yeah some companies to sponsor employee chartered status. Not that I think chartered status is that important - its mostly a status symbol. I feel its more important in other industries . (I am surrounded by engineers in the family and close relatives/friends - and the really successful ones do not have chartered status. Just an observation/my opinion, you might not agree
.)Yeah, thanks for your kind words, I have almost finished writing up a custom CV for the first company I will apply to. How are you getting along?
Original post by a10
if I take a BEng with a year out, and lets say I manage to get into XXX company, if im then offered a permanent position prior to graduation and satisfactory results ofc, could you then work for that company and ask them to fund your masters or is that asking too much...
It's not unheard of but it depends on the company. If you do a placement and get offered, it's worth asking- particulary if you're paying £9k fees.
It depends on the logistics of doing the masters (full/part-time) and how it fits in with your career.
Original post by Sgt.Incontro
Yeah some companies to sponsor employee chartered status. Not that I think chartered status is that important - its mostly a status symbol. I feel its more important in other industries . (I am surrounded by engineers in the family and close relatives/friends - and the really successful ones do not have chartered status. Just an observation/my opinion, you might not agree .)
Yeah, thanks for your kind words, I have almost finished writing up a custom CV for the first company I will apply to. How are you getting along?
.)Yeah, thanks for your kind words, I have almost finished writing up a custom CV for the first company I will apply to. How are you getting along?
how is their salary like if you dont mind me asking, im not that bothered about reaching chartered status but i want a decent pay scale if im going to have just a BEng + placement and i also want to love my job and what i do so i feel the placement might be best for this but im still not sure!
I consulted this with my tutor today (who is a chartered engineer himself) n asked him what he thought about graduating with a BEng + placement, and he said if i was after chartership then the MEng would be desirable as it would:
a) make you more employable
b) easier to gain chartered status
he also said graduating with the BEng + placement would be very good if you wanted to go into industry quicker and also give you some solid experience of what engineering in the real world is like.
my other lecturer said doing an MSc would be cheaper than doing an MEng so yeah pretty mixed opinions otherwise all is well
Apply to more than one to increase your chance of success, good luck
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by theengineer1
It's not unheard of but it depends on the company. If you do a placement and get offered, it's worth asking- particulary if you're paying £9k fees.
It depends on the logistics of doing the masters (full/part-time) and how it fits in with your career.
It depends on the logistics of doing the masters (full/part-time) and how it fits in with your career.
did you graduate with a BEng + placement? How is your job like?
Original post by a10
how is their salary like if you dont mind me asking, im not that bothered about reaching chartered status but i want a decent pay scale if im going to have just a BEng + placement and i also want to love my job and what i do so i feel the placement might be best for this but im still not sure!
Of course I don't mind you asking, its just I don't remember most of this stuff. I will PM you shortly.
Original post by a10
I consulted this with my tutor today (who is a chartered engineer himself) n asked him what he thought about graduating with a BEng + placement, and he said if i was after chartership then the MEng would be desirable as it would:
a) make you more employable
b) easier to gain chartered status
he also said graduating with the BEng + placement would be very good if you wanted to go into industry quicker and also give you some solid experience of what engineering in the real world is like.
a) make you more employable
b) easier to gain chartered status
he also said graduating with the BEng + placement would be very good if you wanted to go into industry quicker and also give you some solid experience of what engineering in the real world is like.
True, I would actually agree with what he has said.
Original post by a10
Apply to more than one to increase your chance of success, good luck
Of course, and thank you.
Original post by Sgt.Incontro
I will PM you shortly.
Thanks bro
I'm on placement at the moment. Will graduate with an MEng in 2015.
I really like the placement- like all jobs it has its good and bad days but it's really highlighted how little I knew of real industry before. I was expecting to be using all the maths I had learnt at uni but haven't had to use anything at all but the job is still relevant to my course, and I have a lot of projects/responsibility.
If you do go for a placement, bear in mind that which division of the company you go to will make a big difference. Everyone wants to work in R&D where you'll probably make a more direct use of what you learn at uni but there are some great opportunities to be had in other areas of businesses.
I work in Operations which is essentially improving the manufacturing process. Google 'continuous improvement'. CI's good- it's varied, it's relevant to your discipline but you don't have to get bogged down with the technical stuff too much (we leave that to the suppliers). CI goes on at practically every manufacturing company: Jaguar, Airbus, Rolls-Royce... it's a very long list.
I really like the placement- like all jobs it has its good and bad days but it's really highlighted how little I knew of real industry before. I was expecting to be using all the maths I had learnt at uni but haven't had to use anything at all but the job is still relevant to my course, and I have a lot of projects/responsibility.
If you do go for a placement, bear in mind that which division of the company you go to will make a big difference. Everyone wants to work in R&D where you'll probably make a more direct use of what you learn at uni but there are some great opportunities to be had in other areas of businesses.
I work in Operations which is essentially improving the manufacturing process. Google 'continuous improvement'. CI's good- it's varied, it's relevant to your discipline but you don't have to get bogged down with the technical stuff too much (we leave that to the suppliers). CI goes on at practically every manufacturing company: Jaguar, Airbus, Rolls-Royce... it's a very long list.
Original post by theengineer1
I'm on placement at the moment. Will graduate with an MEng in 2015.
I really like the placement- like all jobs it has its good and bad days but it's really highlighted how little I knew of real industry before. I was expecting to be using all the maths I had learnt at uni but haven't had to use anything at all but the job is still relevant to my course, and I have a lot of projects/responsibility.
If you do go for a placement, bear in mind that which division of the company you go to will make a big difference. Everyone wants to work in R&D where you'll probably make a more direct use of what you learn at uni but there are some great opportunities to be had in other areas of businesses.
I work in Operations which is essentially improving the manufacturing process. Google 'continuous improvement'. CI's good- it's varied, it's relevant to your discipline but you don't have to get bogged down with the technical stuff too much (we leave that to the suppliers). CI goes on at practically every manufacturing company: Jaguar, Airbus, Rolls-Royce... it's a very long list.
I really like the placement- like all jobs it has its good and bad days but it's really highlighted how little I knew of real industry before. I was expecting to be using all the maths I had learnt at uni but haven't had to use anything at all but the job is still relevant to my course, and I have a lot of projects/responsibility.
If you do go for a placement, bear in mind that which division of the company you go to will make a big difference. Everyone wants to work in R&D where you'll probably make a more direct use of what you learn at uni but there are some great opportunities to be had in other areas of businesses.
I work in Operations which is essentially improving the manufacturing process. Google 'continuous improvement'. CI's good- it's varied, it's relevant to your discipline but you don't have to get bogged down with the technical stuff too much (we leave that to the suppliers). CI goes on at practically every manufacturing company: Jaguar, Airbus, Rolls-Royce... it's a very long list.
Ahhh aswome and wow they let you view applications already (now that youre working for them in the placement year)??? Also is operations the same as getting a manufacturing engineering position or is that slighty more technical?
What engineering discipline are you currently studying?
Pretty much the same. In a general sense, it's manufacturing but within the business it's referred to as Operations. Guess Manufacturing could also cover a bit of R&D
Yeah, at my company the placement students review/score the applications and sit in on the interviews. Though managers will get the last word on who to shortlist and who to offer.
Studying electrical & electronic engineering
Yeah, at my company the placement students review/score the applications and sit in on the interviews. Though managers will get the last word on who to shortlist and who to offer.
Studying electrical & electronic engineering
Original post by theengineer1
Pretty much the same. In a general sense, it's manufacturing but within the business it's referred to as Operations. Guess Manufacturing could also cover a bit of R&D
Yeah, at my company the placement students review/score the applications and sit in on the interviews. Though managers will get the last word on who to shortlist and who to offer.
Studying electrical & electronic engineering
Yeah, at my company the placement students review/score the applications and sit in on the interviews. Though managers will get the last word on who to shortlist and who to offer.
Studying electrical & electronic engineering
Ahhh i see. How much programming content is on your EEE course btw? And whats R&D?
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