The Pros and Cons of Doing a Placement Year

The pros and cons of doing a placement year

Sometimes, the best thing to do when you’re weighing something up is to make a list of why you should or shouldn’t do it.

We’ve put together a list of pros and cons to help you decide whether a placement year would be worth it for YOU.

PROS of doing a year in industry

1. You'll have industry-level work experience before you even graduate

Get ahead of the game. By completing a placement year, you automatically increase your chances of securing a graduate scheme or job. All the big graduate employers look for candidates who have completed work experience before graduation.

You might even get a graduate job offer directly from your placement employer.

2. It can open opportunities to network and potentially open doors for your future

The idea of “it’s not what you know, but who you know” is a bit of a cliché. However, networking and building a rapport with your colleagues during your placement could be useful for future job prospects.

Even if you don’t get offered a permanent role at the end of your placement, you’ll get yourself an amazing reference for your CV and lots of valuable connections on LinkedIn.

3. You can test-drive a career before you take the plunge with a full-time job

You have so much choice once you graduate.

There’s almost too much choice. And it’s scary because what if you make the wrong decision and end up with a rubbish job in an industry you’re not so sure about?

By doing a placement, you can test-drive the career you’ve always dreamed about before taking the plunge with a full-time job.

4. Gain even more independence

Even if you moved away from home to go to university, doing a year in industry gives you a whole bunch of new responsibilities. Not only will you likely be getting a higher income than anything you have had before, but you will also be working full-time. This means you won’t have as much free time as you’re used to, but the money to do a lot. This year will be all about finding that balance. Be financially responsible, make time for yourself and your loved ones and work. It can be tricky, but worth it when it's mastered.

AND, to top it all off, you might also be moving to a new city where you know no one, so you will always need to put a bit more effort into making friends. But, you have the opportunity to to make friends with other placement students, students from universities in the city you’re living with and reconnect with old friends.

5. You could travel abroad

Did you know that you can work abroad for your placement year? Not only are you getting all the benefits from doing a placement year, but you’re also exposing yourself to new cultures, a new language and new FOOD.

CONS of doing a year in industry

1. It'll take you a year longer to graduate

If you choose to do a placement, you’ll graduate a year later and maybe not with all your university friends. (Though this doesn’t mean you won’t make new friends while on placement or in your final year.)

2. You’ll have to juggle applications and university work

You have several essays on the go, two exams to revise for, and now you have to worry about getting a CV and cover letter together and then attending interviews… all to secure that placement.

The application process can be long, and you might be missing a lecture or two. However, your lecturers and course leaders will totally be understanding and can even offer you support. If you do decide to pursue a placement year, speak to them for guidance.

When the time comes to apply for a graduate role, you’ll have already learned a great deal about the application process and how best to approach it.

3. You might have to relocate for a year

When you go to university, the chances are you’ll have to move out and relocate. And it’s the same when you do a placement.

This means you’ll have to find somewhere to live in an area you might not know well. It’s stressful and a huge adjustment, but moving out can be fun and prepare you for real life.

For example, London is bursting full of placements, and it can be a great city to live in. But this comes with its expenses. You’ll have to budget yourself but in the end, it could be SO worth it.

Who can do an industrial placement year?

It depends on your university and your course…

Some degrees include a placement year as part of the course. This is common for business students or those studying banking or engineering. Their three-year course is extended to four years, with a placement in between their second and final year of university.

For anyone else, there are options.

Let’s say you’re an English Literature student. You’re sick of reading two days into your course, and you’ve always thought, ‘I’d be great at advertising’.

So instead of regretting your UCAS application, you could potentially apply for a placement year in marketing between your second and third years. It might not be advertised to you, but it may still be an option. Some universities allow you to defer your final year.

The best thing to do is contact your university’s placement or careers team and find out if you can apply for one and defer. If everything works out, you will have hands-on experience in your chosen field before leaving university.

Can't do a placement? Apply for an internship instead

Remember – anyone and everyone can do an internship. They are usually during summer and lasts 4-16 weeks so an amazing alternative is doing a placement year isn't for you.

So if a placement year doesn’t sound like your thing or it isn’t available for your course, you can still apply for a summer internship.

It might be your only chance to get a taste of something different.

Find out more from placement students themselves

You can find all the insider knowledge from students just like you.