Steps I took to secure a placement position for my professional training year (PTY)
What is a PTY?
A PTY is a year between the second and third year of university, sometimes referred to as a sandwich program. The purpose of it is to gain professional experience by the course you are studying. I chose to undertake a placement year to gain work experience before completing my university studies. In this blog, I will share my top tips and recommendations that I found particularly helpful in securing a position.
Creating a CV
Having a good CV is crucial to ensure that when applying for different positions, employers can see everything you have to offer. It usually includes education and work experience, as well as a summary of yourself at the beginning. I found it very useful to highlight all the skills gained from education and work experience, which effectively showcase what you have to offer.
Surrey Pathfinder
Surrey Pathfinder is a platform provided by the University of Surrey that you can use to find useful career information and opportunities. Sometimes, if career workshops are available, they will be advertised there. Examples of some workshops I have attended and found very useful include, for instance, teaching how to write a CV and how to answer interview questions. On the platform, you can also find placement positions open for applications and filter them by the specific sector you are looking for. This platform is all I used to find my position.
Applications
Once you find placement positions that interest you and have your CV ready, you can submit your applications. Once you upload your CV, some places will ask for a cover letter, which is an excellent opportunity to highlight your ambitions, what you have to offer and why you should be hired. I found it helpful to have a base template for my CV, which I then tailor for each job, depending on what the job description requires. This makes it easier for key skills to be filtered according to what the job description is looking for.
Interview/Online assessments
Once your application is sent, the employer may take from a couple of weeks to a few months to reply. That is why it is important to submit applications as soon as you see them. However, it is normal to hear back after a long time. Once the application is successful, if it is a company, the next step is usually to complete an online assessment for further filtering of candidates. On the Surrey platform, you can also find practice sessions for the online assessments, as they usually take some practice to ace. Once you have progressed past the online assessments, you will usually be interviewed once or twice. I found it very helpful to become familiar with the STAR method for answering questions, which involves S: situation, T: task, A: action, and R: resolution. This was the method all the interviewers I spoke to were looking for. It is also helpful to have some background research on the company or university you will be working for and the role you have applied for, as I also found that I received some questions on that, too. It’s essential to practice extensively before the interview, as the moment may be a more stressful environment than expected, and it’s better to feel more comfortable with your already practised answers.
Final thoughts
The process of obtaining a PTY is very long and can also be stressful due to the need to balance university work alongside other responsibilities. Still, it is essential to remember that perseverance is crucial and consistency in sending applications, as it is normal to submit numerous applications and attend interviews before securing a placement. Therefore, don’t give up!
