Applying....

Placements narrowed down and at the ready. Now it’s time to sort out your CV over the summer...

Re-vamp your CV there are templates online, but are they relevant to you? If you’re applying for a more creative role, maybe you should change the style of your CV to appeal to the company you are applying for (make it creative- go on take the risk). Ensure that your CV is tailored to the various jobs you are applying to, they must be personalised, don’t be lazy change it!

 If possible, if you can get hold of the job description of your desired role, pick out the key words and try and include these into your CV. (Employees usually spend less than 30 seconds looking at a CV and now, new software can screen your CV checking for those important key words. You have been warned... include those key words!

After completing your CV, it’s time to do your covering letter. I did this over the summer at the end of my first year. Within my CV, I expressed my passion for marketing, why I felt I’d be a key asset to the company and my real passion for working for the VAG group. Use a creative example to help you, express your passion and show your enthusiasm (this is what I did). NO spelling mistakes, check over it, get someone else to check over it, your friend, your Mum, your Nan, who ever, just make sure it’s concise and engaging.

Now you’re in your second year. Wow. November time has struck, time to start applying.

With most placements, they ask various questions. Before submitting, type out the questions on to word (to check spelling/grammar mistakes) and save the documents. Once you have completed the questions, get someone to read over them. Once you’re happy, submit the questions. Make sure you keep to the word count and try to express yourself clearly. Let your passion shine through and be confident in what you’re saying. Never lie and make sure it’s you, if someone else has wrote the questions for you, the ‘big guys’ are going to know.

Find out the deadline date for submission. You don’t want to do all the hard work and then miss the deadline date. Be organised, put it in your phone, diary, stick it on your wall, on your forehead...anywhere as long as you remember!

In the application, they will ask you questions about you, current issues, what you know about the company, why you want to do a placement, you extra-curricular activities etc. So make sure you have these questions nailed as they are your first encounter with the company. You need to come over strong and competent. Do not come over as if you know it all because you don’t, remember you’re not even graduated. Come over confident but express the fact that you are passionate about learning new skills and how the industry works etc. Being confident or a big head are two different things, get the balance right and you should be sorted.

First stage over fingers crossed....

(Do not let placements take over your University work. If you do, you’ll feel the consequences. Make sure you manage your time effectively. At the end of the day, if you’re letting your Uni work slip, you could end up doing your second year again. So focus and have a good balance. I cannot stress how important it is to prepare over the summer months for placements. Trust me, it will really pay off!... It did with me.) I wish you the best of luck...

Read my 2^nd blog for the next stage in the placement process.....

Getting Started...

Tips on getting a Marketing and PR Placement...

To apply for a placement, you cannot be a normal student. You need to have some pazaz about you. If you don’t have any of the following, then try to adopt these skills ASAP:

·         Work Experience

·         Part of a society at University (Business, Photography)

·         Part Time Job

·         Contributed to the University somehow (i.e Open Days)

·         Sport Club (Football, Netball, Rugby)

·         Certificates

·         Volunteering

·         Charity work

·         Etc........

First things first, we know that your first year results do not count towards your final grade in 3^rd year...but don’t be fooled. Oh no, to do a placement most companies look at your first year results. Most, if not all, want you to have a 2:1. So have fun in your first year, but not too much. Work hard, play hard.

Attend all of the PDP sessions, if you’re serious about getting a placement- trust me this really does help. Don’t be lazy either; you have the chance to write a reflective log towards the end of the year, this is so that you gain a certificate for PDP- if you don’t you’ve wasted all that time for nothing. Although PDP is not a module-it is an additional skill/achievement. Employees like this. So get the award to stand out.

Right so now, you’ve finished University for the year, you should have got your grade back and got a 2:1. Brilliant!

Now here is where some people go wrong. You have so many weeks off in the Summer... So get hunting for your ideal placement NOW! Do not make the mistake and do it in your second year, no no, no! In your second year, you have to start reading the chapters, seminar work, journals, extra reading etc. There is no time to faff around. Get organised and write a list of the placements you want to apply to.

It’s important that you read the job titles advertised for placements, so in the summer if they say they want work experience (which they will).... get out the yellow pages and start trying to find some work experience (RING AROUND, DON’T BE SHY). Work experience is so important, it teaches you so much and without it you won’t know what role you really want to apply for.

So now you’ve got your list narrowed, find out where there head office is. If you want to live near to University, home, then research it first.

Look at the website; see if this is a company you want to be a part of. If you don’t it will show through in your interview, the company wants someone who is passionate about the brand. You need to love, breathe, live the brand values!

A helping hand.

Hey all.

I want to help out fellow University of Lincoln students. How I want to do this, is to pass on my knowledge and tips for when applying to a placement/s.

In June 2012, I shall be taking on the role as VW Marketing Assistant & I cannot wait!

Hearing from others, I can understand how hard it can be to get a placement. So I've decided to do this blog to give you people a helping hand. I really hope it helps, fingers crossed for you guys, let’s hope this helps you secure a placement.