When I started university, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a placement, but I knew gaining relevant experience early on would be crucial, especially since I was certain about pursuing a career in mental health. As I learned more about placement opportunities, I realised how beneficial they could be for my professional development.
I am due to start my placement as a Psychology Support Worker in the NHS soon and wanted to share some tips with you.
Start early
One of the most important things I learned was to start looking for opportunities early. Even if a role doesn’t seem directly related to your field of study, the skills you gain can still be invaluable. I always encouraged myself to step out of my comfort zone and try new things, having a diverse range of experiences can make you more adaptable and appealing to employers.
Develop your skills and experience
There are plenty of opportunities both within and outside the university. At Surrey, initiatives like Welfare Watch, Nightline, and the Students’ Union provide great chances to build confidence and transferable skills. Before university, I also reached out to local hospitals and charities to volunteer over the summer. This experience helped me develop a strong skill set and demonstrated to future employers that I was proactive and committed to self-development.
Join a student union society
Joining a sport was another great decision in my first year. I started cheerleading and was lucky enough to make it onto our competition teams. Wanting to give back, I later ran for and was elected as a Wellbeing Officer for the club. This role allowed me to support my teammates in and out of training and promote a positive environment. Clubs and societies offer leadership opportunities, whether as president, vice president, treasurer, fundraiser, or social media secretary etc. These are all roles that develop key skills like teamwork, communication, and organization, all of which are highly valued by placement providers.
Find a part-time job
Alongside my studies, I also work part-time as a barista at a chain cafe. Since I started this job back home, I was able to transfer between stores when I moved to university. Part-time work helped me secure a placement by demonstrating my ability to work professionally, manage responsibilities, and commit to a job consistently.
Manage your time effectively
Balancing university, assignments, exams, part-time work, training, extracurricular responsibilities, and placement applications was definitely challenging. Having an organisational system that worked for me was essential.
I used: Google Calendar to schedule lectures, work shifts, cheer training, and social events, allowing me to see available time slots for writing applications and interviews. I also used To-Do lists on my phone to break down tasks into manageable steps, preventing me from feeling overwhelmed.
For my applications, I created a folder on my computer for each placement I applied to, containing:
- The job post
- My tailored cover letter
- My CV
This helped me stay organised when preparing for interviews. I also colour coded the folders with green for placements I had heard back from and orange for pending applications so I could easily track my progress.
Get help from the employability team
To help strengthen my applications and prepare for interviews, I also made use of the university’s Employability and Careers team. They helped me refine my CV to better showcase my experience and skills, and we went through mock interview questions that were relevant to the roles I was applying for. Practising these in advance made me feel more confident and helped me give clearer, more structured answers when the real interviews came around. Don’t underestimate how useful it is to get a second opinion, even small tweaks can make a big difference!
Take time for yourself
Lastly, self-care is just as important as productivity. Taking time for myself, whether by socialising, exercising, or simply relaxing, helped me maintain balance and avoid burnout.
