Finding a placement

There are numerous benefits of doing a placement year. Firstly, you will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge and understanding of management theory from your first two years at Royal Holloway to practical workplace situations. This will improve and develop your skills and give you an understanding of the day to day running of a company and managerial skills needed in business or law.

A placement year also gives you first-hand experience that is highly valued by graduate recruiters: the 2015 High Fliers report suggests that this year, 31% of graduate vacancies are expected to be filled by students who already have experience within their organisation. A placement year can also help you decide which area you wish to enter when you graduate and gives you valuable understanding of the complexities and demands of the job application process.

Finally, the experience you gain during a placement year will be invaluable to you during your final year of studies, as research shows students who complete a placement year tend to get higher degree results.

Approved by Royal Holloway, placements last between nine and twelve months.

Placements start in the summer period at the beginning of your 3rd year of study.

The responsibility for choosing and securing a placement ultimately belongs to you, the student. However, advice and support are provided at every stage by the Faculty Placement Place team, in close collaboration with Royal Holloway's Careers Service. The aim of the support is to enable you to choose an appropriate placement and perform effectively in the various recruitment and selection activities that are part of the process of getting a placement.

You will need to undertake the activities recommended to secure a placement in a timely fashion and there will be activities starting during your first year at Royal Holloway which then run through your second year.

Events include presentations with employers and Careers Service workshops (e.g. CV/covering letter preparation, interview skills, Linkedin Days, summer internships). In the second year there is a compulsory taught course for all Management students, regardless of pathway, which covers employability elements such as CVs, interviews, assessment centres. In addition one-to-one support is offered in the form of career guidance meetings and interview practice with a member of the Careers Service. More information on the Careers and Employability Service can be found here.

The School will indicate where within the University you can look for placement opportunities:

• The Careers Service within the University will have paid internships and placements advertised on the London University `Jobonline' website.
• The department will also benefit from some placements and internships as a result of industry relationships.
• Many organisations advertise on their own sites and you will need to explore the internet to maximise your opportunities.

Placements have been linked to specific disiciplines, for example, Marketing, Human Resources or Finance. If you were studying for a BSc Management with Marketing, for example, you would most likely seek a placement within a marketing company or department - though you could choose to try for a different discipline. If you were studying BSc Management, you could seek a placement in a discipline that particularly interested you during your studies.

Yes in theory, but all placements that are not known to the department would have to be quality assured to ensure they contain all the appropriate learning opportunities. Placements can also be in the non-profit sector and the same guidelines apply. All placements should be paid above minimum wage levels in order to be approved.

You can look for opportunities within a whole range of organisations from large Blue chip companies, SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises), Charity, and Public sector organisations.

Yes in general placements are paid - the pay is normally low but should be equal or greater than the mimum wage.  We do not support you taking a placement that is unpaid or below the minimum wage.

Yes, placements outside the UK will be subject to the same quality assurance procedures Royal Holloway use for approving UK placements and the placement must be appropriate for the course. You do, however, need to be aware that these placements can be more complex than UK placements to arrange. We will also be limited in the support we can provide in terms of onsite visits, but thse factors will be discussed in greater detail with you at the time.

All placements would have to be approved by our Quality Assurance procedure - if you are considering seeking a placement in an unstable region or sensitive settings then please consult with our Faculty Placement Place Office, housed in the Moore Building as early as possible.

If you are registered for any of the placement pathways on a Tier 4 visa you will be able to take up a UK 9-12 month placement under the terms of the visa.

Please visit the link to Royal Holloway's information for International Students and visa applications here.

In this situation you should keep all parties informed and give them a definite date when you will make a decision by. This date should be within one working week of receiving the offer.

It is your responsibility to secure a placement and you have until 31st July in your second year to do so. If you are not able to secure a placement you can transfer to the three-year version of your chosen degree programme and you will be provided with assistance and guidance by the Faculty Placement Year team and Career's office.