Adam Dawkins

I knew from when I initially applied to University that I wanted to undertake a paid placement year.  More students now than ever are going to University and graduating with a BSc or BA, so I recognised that any experience I could acquire in a business environment prior to graduation would help me to stand out from the competition.

Prior to applying to Hays, I had done a lot of research into the company to find out as much as I could and determine whether I could really see myself spending a year there. My research highlighted that recruitment aligned well with my existing skillset, and Hays offered an attractive training scheme which is considered to be market leading in the industry. I also liked the idea of recruiting specifically within education, helping to identify the next generation of teachers within our education system. 

My number one tip would be to do your research. This may be a time-consuming process but will pay dividends in the long run, as the more you know about the company, the better quality your application will be. It will also aid you as you progress further through the application process, especially if you can drop a few facts and figures (where relevant) into one of your tasks at the assessment centre.

I would also recommend making the most of the University’s Careers and Employability Centre. Most students are unaware of all the services on offer to them, and the support is excellent, ranging from individual CV advice right through to mock interviews with careers consultants and mock assessment centres. I personally highly recommend the mock assessment centre sessions, as real employers are invited to these, which not only provide an opportunity for networking but also to experience employed-led group activities which have featured in past assessment centres.

During my time at Hays, I worked specifically within the education team and was responsible for recruiting primary teachers for primary schools across South London. I was given a high degree of responsibility from early on in my placement; I found myself on the phone by the end of the first week speaking to teachers active in the market and had led my own client meeting to a primary school after 3 weeks with the company.

I expected a placement year to be tough and very different from University. I was not wrong, as you are more often than not treated as permanent employee and therefore provided with the same expectations and targets as your colleagues.

Alongside hitting and exceeding fee targets during campaigns, my biggest achievement would be being nominated for the Hays “Brand Values” award, and later the “Associated of the Period”, an award normally reserved for permanent associates and not interns. 

Recruitment in general is a difficult and testing industry, but my own greatest challenge would be having some difficult conversations with teachers and headteachers.

Education recruitment runs in cycles in-line with school term dates to cater for main intakes during the academic year. As such, we worked to specific recruitment “campaigns” leading up to the start of the new academic year in September, the start of the second term in January and the start of the summer term in April. My September 2019 campaign was my most successful, in which I billed a record amount of fees for my desk (my business within the larger education team), leaving it in good shape for my successor.

A placement year will teach you a whole host of skills that will benefit you in the long run. The skills which I believe I have significantly improved throughout the course of my placement would be: interpersonal skills, time management, presentation delivery and self-confidence.

For one, doing a placement (or study abroad) will allow you to gain an additional qualification, alongside you BSc/BA/BEng degree. You will also return for you final year with much improved time management, having spent a year working the typical 9-5 during the working week. This will enable you to manage your time for your studies more effectively, planning and working towards coursework assignments and exam revision more effectively which will hopefully translate into a higher final degree classification had you not done a placement.

In terms of future benefit, you will have had the ability to test drive a potential career and have gained a year’s worth of work experience for your CV, helping to differentiate you from other students when it comes to applying for graduate opportunities.

Placement students typically contribute new ideas and perspectives to an organisation, allowing them to see work place issues from a different angle. They also get to see you in action for a year, allowing them to evaluate whether you are a good fit for the company and worthy of employing as a graduate.