How cooked am I?

13

Just realised its March and I haven't applied for any placements. I do geography at UOM with a supposed placement year. I've had a lot of family stuff going on recently so it was at the back of my mind. A lot of my friends have applied to hundreds yet haven't gotten anything back so I was even more discouraged. What are my options aka am I completely cooked...

Reply 1

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by jamaicanpatty3

Just realised its March and I haven't applied for any placements. I do geography at UOM with a supposed placement year. I've had a lot of family stuff going on recently so it was at the back of my mind. A lot of my friends have applied to hundreds yet haven't gotten anything back so I was even more discouraged. What are my options aka am I completely cooked...

Hey 😊

I'm sorry to hear you have had a lot going on recently. I'm not sure if you have any specific deadlines or set dates to have arranged your placement by, but if a lot of your friends haven't found placements yet either that at least shows you are at similar points still, although they will have had more practice with the application process. It might not be ideal that you haven't yet applied for any placements but the important thing is that you've realised now that you need to do something about it.

Your best course of action now is to get finding placements and putting together the best application you can. Your university should have a careers department or also whoever manages the placement years for your course. I'd advise reaching out to them ASAP, either via email or in person, or you could ask via email to arrange a 1:1 meeting too. The best thing is to just be honest, explain that you have been dealing with a lot lately and haven't applied for any placements yet and you are concerned about falling behind. Let them know that you know this should have been done earlier, but you are here now and ready to address it however you can. If they can help you to put together a really strong application and advise how to find placements then you'll be ready to get back on track.

I find honesty is always the best policy and if you don't reach out then no one will know you need help. Put your energy into it now and hopefully there's still time 😊 you've got this!

Becky
University of Salford Student Rep

Reply 2

ARUStudents

Official Rep

14

Original post

by jamaicanpatty3

Just realised its March and I haven't applied for any placements. I do geography at UOM with a supposed placement year. I've had a lot of family stuff going on recently so it was at the back of my mind. A lot of my friends have applied to hundreds yet haven't gotten anything back so I was even more discouraged. What are my options aka am I completely cooked...

Hey,

You’re not completely cooked, don’t worry!! March feels late compared to others, but placement recruitment isn’t over. Some opportunities can appear in Spring and Summer too.

In my opinion, you should start applying now/ as soon as possible. Try apply to a lot of small companies as well, because the chances of getting a response are higher (from my experience with internships/ various jobs throughout the years). They’re also less competitive. You can also try to cold email certain companies and ask about placement opportunities.

Alternatively, speak to your university placement team, as they can help you find later opportunities and contact employers.

Don’t assume it’s too late. Start applying this week and focus on smaller organisations, as well as advertised placements. Best of luck!

Sabina :smile:

Reply 3

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

18

Original post

by jamaicanpatty3

Just realised its March and I haven't applied for any placements. I do geography at UOM with a supposed placement year. I've had a lot of family stuff going on recently so it was at the back of my mind. A lot of my friends have applied to hundreds yet haven't gotten anything back so I was even more discouraged. What are my options aka am I completely cooked...

Hey @jamaicanpatty3, in my opinion, you are definitely not cooked. March feels late, but placement timelines aren't the same for every sector, especially for Geography. I have many friends who successfully applied much later too 🙂

A lot of big corporate schemes open early, which is probably what your friends applied to. But many smaller organisations, councils, environmental consultancies, charities and research teams recruit much later. Sometimes even into late spring or summer.

What I suggest you do now:

1.

Talk to your uni placement team ASAP as they often have internal listings or partner organisations that still need students

2.

Look beyond the big schemes e.g. local councils, NGOS and charities, sustainability teams in companies, planning departments

3.

Consider alternative formats as some courses allow shorter placements, summer internships and research projects with lecturers. It is always worth checking what your course allows.

4.

Star applying now and remember others applying earlier does not mean they are ahead of the game.

The most important thing is starting now, not stressing about what you should have done even though it can be tempting. I would definitely have that quick chat with your placement office as it will make things feel more manageable. Feel free to ask any more questions if you have any 🙂

Ru
BCU Student Rep.

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