Rebecca
Hudson

“I secured my placement at Bosch through Nottingham Trent’s Futurehub as they were advertising their placement opportunities on this platform. I made use of the Employability services to review my CV and help formulate a good cover letter, which would interest employers. I emailed over my completed CV and covering letter and within the next week I was invited to an assessment centre day

“The recruitment process for the role I ended up securing was relatively straightforward. I attended the assessment centre day in February where I was involved in three group tasks and then went onto to eight individual interviews. I then received a phone call the following day where I learnt that I had been successful in my interview and that Bosch would like to offer me the placement opportunity. This was my first assessment day, so I was thrilled when I found out that I had been successful, it really boosts your morale.

“In the first month of my placement I received a phone call from NTU to check that I had settled into my placement company and that I was enjoying the role. I also had a meeting around halfway through my placement from my placement tutor who ran through relevant documents that needed completing and to talk about the recall day where I would have to present my year at Bosch. The support was excellent and I knew that if I had any issues during my placement year that I could rely on NTU to be there for guidance and support.

“The thing I enjoyed most about my placement was the considerable amount of responsibility that I was given, I was given the responsibility of the trade shows and quarterly communications, which would be sent out to the power, tools industry. This gave me a sense that I was contributing towards the business success and was treated as a full-time member of staff rather than a placement student, whose main role was to make cups of tea and coffee.

“The various models that I had picked up through my modules in 2^nd year were the main thing that I could apply to the working environment. In certain situations, I could see how certain aspects of theory linked up to the workplace.

“The main piece of advice that I would give anybody who is wishing to take a placement year is to get as much out of it as you can. The experience enhanced my confidence dramatically and it also allowed me to become aware of things that I was good at and things that I needed to improve on. Try to take on as many challenges as possible as this is rewarding in the end and it is well recognised within the organisation. To anybody thinking of going on a placement, stop thinking and start applying! It can sometimes be demoralising when you are unsuccessful in certain roles but it almost makes you more willing and adamant to find one. My placement has given me the drive to get the best grade possible in my final year and to succeed in whatever organisation I end up in.”