Are industrial placements worth it?

Uni fees are reduced in a placement year. Mine are £650 for my placement year. I am currently doing an unpaid placement year in the NHS but the benefits outweigh the lack of pay. When I graduate I will be more qualified than my peers and be able to step into a role rather than a trainee role.
Obviously a bit different to marketing but definitely worth it I think in terms of experience and connections you can make as well as getting to learn about that work environment.

It seems that, unless it’s a STEM placement, you get paid a pittance of a salary as an intern. I was considering to do one in Marketing, but I don’t see the point anymore since when I graduate I will be starting from the bottom of the ladder anyway. And you also have to pay the uni tuition fee for that year, which I really don’t see the point in even if the fee is massively reduced.

The only good points about industrial placements that I can see is you have the chance to work for big companies that offer those placements, and if you perform well you’re more likely to be accepted onto a grad scheme or a permanent position when you finish your degree. And internships also give you a bit of a boost when competing for jobs in the graduate market.

Are there any other reasons why I should consider industrial placements, or reasons why I shouldn’t?

I got paid the same as my STEM counterparts (namely engineering) at the company I worked for as a Business placement student and got paid enough to live on. The experience was invaluable and I used the experience to get myself a graduate position at another company. The company you work for is also reasonably likely to offer you a position depending on the company if you do well!

At the interview stage at the new company, everyone had done a placement year previously. It also gives you more to talk about during a interview to make your arguments more relatable and it will help set you apart from all the other graduates.

Therefore it makes you more employable in my opinion. To be honest, I paid £1800 for my placement year and it was worth it especially considering you won't feel it after spending at least £27,000 on the degree in the first place!! The money I spent on the placement year has already been outweighed by the salary difference I was likely to get without a placement year.

There is also no harm in applying for industrial placements as they give you a feel of the interview process when you graduate. Especially with larger companies such as online tests, video interviews, telephone interviews, presentations and assessment centres etc.

Hope this helps.

The only good points about industrial placements that I can see is you have the chance to work for big companies that offer those placements, and if you perform well you’re more likely to be accepted onto a grad scheme or a permanent position when you finish your degree. And internships also give you a bit of a boost when competing for jobs in the graduate market.