Rosanna
Watts

"As part of my BA (Hons) Marketing degree at Nottingham Business School, I completed a one year work placement, which I secured with Aggregate Industries.

I secured my placement by completed various application and interview stages with the company alongside visiting the Employability team to help me re-draft and re-format my CV. Having a strong CV meant I had one to work on in the future, one that I could adapt as my career progressed or as the applications varied.

Within the first few weeks of beginning my placement, I got a phone call from NTU to see how I was getting on and it was a real comfort to know that the University was always there should any problems arise or if I had any questions. My year went smoothly and I didn’t need to get in touch with NBS, although they made regular contact to check on me.

Towards the end of my placement year, a supervisor came to visit me and meet with my manager. It was a great chance to reflect on my time with the company, and think about what learnings I could take back with me into my final year. Since returning, I am more motivated to get the most out of each week at University, implementing my time management skills.

My placement has not only developed my writing style so I feel more confident and equipped when writing reports but it has increased my confidence in all areas of university – from presenting, to writing, to meeting new people and applying for jobs – all of which I am extremely grateful for.

I worked in a great team at Aggregate Industries and generally, office life and the routine suited me well. I would advise any student considering a placement to go for it. It’s the best opportunity I’ve had to date, and it will set you apart when applying for jobs and graduate schemes in your final year.

I would love to go back and work for Aggregate Industries if the opportunity ever arose, for now though, I am concentrating on applying what I have learnt and looking forward to what may come after graduation."