Placement Year Reflections & Top Tips

Are you considering taking a year out of uni?
Looking to do an internship or placement year?
One of the hardest decisions for me was deciding to take a year out to do a placement year due to my concerns over my finances as well as housing, however that said, it was one of the best decisions I have made that has taught me so much more about my work ethic and insight on how the industry really works
As I am coming to the end of my placement year at uni, here are a few reflections and tips I have learned over the past year.
Searching and Deciding
Searching for an internship can be a daunting process, with making a portfolio/resume, researching and contacting companies while facing no replies or simply rejection. The entire process may take a while and you might find yourself in a state of limbo. Depending on your university, there is usually a cut off point when you have to decide to either do a placement year or continue with your studies in your final year at uni. Even if you are unsure if a placement year is right for you, I would still suggest trying. This limbo period actually offers you the opportunity to try your shot and gives you the opportunity to go for interviews. Even if you get rejected or decide to transition to your final year of uni, it is a great way to get some interview experience and feedback on your portfolio from people within the industry. 😁
Getting a placement is sometimes a matter of luck and timing, especially within creative industries, not all openings are advertised and often start at different times of the year so it is important to reach out and apply to different companies/ firms.
Learning to Say Goodbye
Another big part of placement year is learning when and how to say goodbye. In reality, you may not always end up in the department of your choice and may end up changing companies or departments midway. Perhaps you started out really wanting to do a placement in a design department but end up in product development or production department, another opportunity might come your way and its important to know when to take it or leave it when the time comes. At the end of the day, the placement year is meant for you to discover where your strengths and weaknesses lies and what you would like to possibly pursue in the future! 🤗 It is also important to leave a good impression as you never know what opportunities the connections and friends you have made during your placement year will provide.
I hope this provides greater insight on some important lessons I have learnt on my year out of uni. Feel free to ask me any questions about placement year or life in Kingston! 🤭
Here are also a few useful links about placement year:
How to Look for Internships
Expectations vs Reality Placement Yr
Taking a Sandwhich Year
Day in the Life of Fashion Placement
Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)

Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your story!
I have an interview for a placement coming in 2 weeks and I was wondering if you have any general tips on doing well in an interview/ what you think you did well to secure the placement?
Thanks! 🙂

Hi, would be able to go into a bit more detail about where to apple for placements. I'm a second fashion year student at Kingston looking for a fashion placement next year but I'm struggling to find advertisements. I've looked on sites such as Higherin and FashionWorkie but there's barely any on there that are applicable and suitable. Are there any sites you recommend or would you suggest cold-emailing companies? Thanks