Emma
Jaggard

"I was first made aware of the vacancy on NTU’s InPlace. I then made use of the employability services by taking my CV and cover letter to the team. They helped me to tailor my CV and cover letter to the role that I was applying for. Using the advice on the Prepare for Placement learning room also allowed me to gain an insight of what to expect at different stages from planning my placement to securing it.

"I’ve only very recently started my placement but what I’ve enjoyed most so far is that before I started my role in the support office I was able to go out to a Boots store for a month beforehand. This allowed me to see how my new role links to how stores operate. The four week induction plan ensured I got all necessary tasks completed and gave me an idea of what stage I was at on my store placement. The colleagues at the Loughborough store were very supportive and knowledgeable and I completed a variety of tasks that allowed me to see different sides of the business in stores

"Boots isn’t just a day job, the early careers programme allows you to develop your self-awareness, self-acceptance and confidence as they put on different events throughout the year. I carry out audits and site visits on numerous distribution sites across the UK. I then have to put my findings into a report and write commentaries of what is working well and what needs to be improved on a weekly and monthly basis.

"I would advise students that are considering a work placement to make sure that they use all the resources that the Employability team offer, but most importantly to not give up trying to find a placement. I started applying in September and I wasn't offered a placement until June. I was offered two in one week after very nearly giving up."