August 13, 2024, by jhillary1
My time taking part in the optional Placement Year scheme
By Margot Annis, liberal arts with a placement year student
After having an exciting first year at the University of Nottingham, I decided as I headed into my second year, it was time to make some decisions to begin shaping my future.
As a liberal arts student, I have so many avenues to explore that I felt I needed some support with direction. After some research, I fell upon the optional Placement Year (OPY). This was the perfect way for me to gain experience of the working world and form a path for post-university life.
What is an optional Placement Year?
OPY is for students who don’t have a year in industry already fitted into their course. Anyone can do one!
And there is so much variety out there to find your perfect fit. After your penultimate year of study, you take your third year out of university to work in a company, where they will teach you your role in the business, corporate etiquette and many other transferable skills. You get the opportunity to be around professionals who teach you the ropes to give you a head start after university.
My experience
I found my placement opportunity on Indeed.com but there are so many sites to find roles such as RateMyPlacement and LinkedIn. After sending lots of CVs and cover letters and participating in assessment centres, I successfully gained my role as a trainee commercial web intern at Frasers Group plc, a collective retailer of sporting, luxury and retail brands.
I spent my year working with a brilliant team to learn how to be a buyer. I communicated with suppliers, had responsibilities for my own brands and built clothing ranges using trends, data and instinct. I learned so many new skills and met people who have moulded me into a person who is ready to face the world after university.
Addressing fears of an OPY
I feel that arts students can find a placement year mystifying as it seems they are made for people doing the likes of business studies or engineering. However, this is not the case, they are also made for arts students to find a direction which we may be lacking. To discover our dislikes and likes of possible future careers.
We may have to put more effort into finding a placement that fits us, but I think this is a blessing in disguise as it means we can explore more options than people with a specific sector in mind.
Finally, the fear of having a year out of university, although I have not yet gone back for my final year, this year has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has given me organisational skills, prepared me for life after university and added a little extra money to my bank. I would recommend the OPY to all arts students! Take every opportunity you can get.
Find out more about your opportunity to take part in an optional placement year during your time at Nottingham.
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