What is a Placement?
A placement is a period of time spent working for a company/organisation during the sandwich year of your programme. It can vary in length and you would usually be employed as an employee by the company or organisation. If you choose to take the enterprise residency route of your placement year (UK Home students only) you may instead work in a freelance capacity where you submit invoices to the business or organisation you are working with.
In the Career Development Placement year there are four options.
- A placement with one company where you will work with them for the whole placement (a minimum of 24 weeks).
- An opportunity to work for more than one company in shorter placements, perhaps lasting 12 weeks. You can make up your year with at least two of these placements depending on the length they are.
- The third option is to take up the Enterprise Residency route where you will work to set up your own business and work with Brookes Enterprise Support to go through their SPARK programme (UK Home students only). You will also be party to live project opportunities and working more closely with Brookes Creative. You are also able to embark on freelance opportunities as a self-employed worker (UK residents only – not available to International Students on a Tier 4 Visa) and these opportunities will be advertised on the Brookes Creative Opportunities page.
- You could take a year studying abroad in another institution overseas. To enquire more about that you can take a look here.
How much does a placement module cost?
The placement module is costed at £1600 for 2024-25 but you must always check the website for your course page to see if the costs will change in the year you are looking to take one. This fee covers the support you will get before, during and after your placement and the cost of administering the assessment you will be required to do.
How does taking a placement affect my VISA?
If you are a student currently studying a programme who has not selected placement mode at the poit of entry then your visa will not cover this additional year and you will have to extend it. You must get Visa advice from our ISAT team. Read our guidance on the International Student Placement page.
Why should I do one?
Why wouldn’t you do one!!! A year in industry gaining experience and putting your skills and attributes to the test in an environment where you are supported and mentored! What a way to gain a network and find your likes and dislikes in your industry. It will bring you confidence and professionalism that will be invaluable in your final year and will really help you to produce work of a higher standard. It’s hard work and you will be pushed out of your comfort zone but that is the best place to learn and grow and build that important resilience needed in today’s society.
Are there any restrictions or requirements for me to do a placement year?
Yes. We need to ensure you are going to thrive and flourish in this independent environment and so we require you to complete an expression of interest form outlining which of the three options within the module you would like to undertake.
You will have to complete and pass all of your level 5 modules before you can go out onto placement. Without all of these modules passed we believe it will put extra strain on your ability to perform professionally and will compromise your reputation as well as putting undue pressure onto you when you may have added pressures from retaking modules.
If you are an International student and have not entered your course with a placement year already in your visa conditions then you will need to extend your visa so our advice is to go and seek visa advice from one of our International Student Advice Team. Email them using isat@brookes.ac.uk
How do I find one?
Well there are several avenues you can exhaust when looking for a placement. The first thing to do is to do some research into the kind of thing you would like to do and who in the industry does that. Check in with your programme tutors to see if they have advice for you based on your categories and can steer you in the right direction with respect to companies and organisations that could meet those. Then it is down to you to start your research. Brookes Creative are listing placement opportunities each week on their opportunities page and these are often shared on Instagram. But you can also check on reputable websites such as Creative Lives in Progress, ScreenSkills, Milkround, Prospects and Targetjobs.
Do I have to find my own?
Once you graduate you will be looking for your future jobs independently so think of this as the dress rehersal. We encourage you to do the groundwork so it simulates the experience once you graduate. But there is a huge amount of support for you in the process, but essentially we aren’t going to be setting it up for you to just walk right in there and start work. You will need to prep your CV, showreel or portfolio and be invited for interviews. But don’t worry because we have loads of resources at the Uni to help you with that including our great careers team who are legends at that kind of thing. Plus the Brookes Creative team are here to offer advice and guidance, plus your programme team will be encouraging you and helping as much as time allows. So don’t panic, you won’t be cut adrift with no help at all.
Should I send speculative enquiries?
Yes you can do but our advice is to always make sure you are sure of the company or organisation and you have done your research. If you do approach someone without there being a job advertised you need to show just how much you would like to work for them, that you know their company and talk about what you can offer them, make it an offer they can’t refuse! Don’t just send the same CV and coverletter to 100 companies and hope one of them replies. It just won’t happen. You need to tailor these approaches so that they can see you are really keen and that they will be missing out if they don’t employ you. Research and find the person you need to send your CV to, maybe check them out on LinkedIn and make sure that your LinkedIn page is up to date and demonstrates your skills and experience. There is nothing more annoying for a recruiter when they look up someone and all their details are out of date. Once you send your speculative letter, follow up a few days later to check in and see if they have received it and if there is any more information they need. And if you really, really want to work somewhere then you could always build up the courage and go to their offices to see if you can speak to the person and show them that you have great tenacity and a willingness to go the extra mile.
What happens when I find a placement?
Once you have found a placement and you have been offered a job then there are documents that need to be completed in order to get them signed off. You can’t go out on placement unless the Brookes Creative or Academic Team have signed off your placement. We need to make sure the company is reputable, that you are going to be well supported whilst you are there and that you will have a mentor in place. We also need to make sure you will be in a safe environment and the company or organisation has appropriate liability insurances in place. It won’t take long but it safeguards against any potential exploitation and miscommunication between the employer and yourself. You can’t work for a family member though because we want this to be an experience you have had to work hard to get.
Do I have to get my Placement signed off before I go out on my Sandwich year?
Yes. You can read more about the documents you need on the Forms for Placement Page. You will also have to change your mode of study to ‘Sandwich’ and you can find out more about that on the Forms for Placement Page as well. The change of mode has to be signed off by your subject coordinator. The deadline to get this form signed off is June 30th so you will have to do all the checks with your employer before this form is signed.
What happens if I don’t find a placement or change my mind?
Don’t worry if you don’t find a placement. You can continue straight into your final year. If you have selected the Placement module you can contact student information and they will remove that module and put you onto the right modules for Level 6.