Sanya: Why I'm doing a placement year

Meet Sanya Daryanani one of our current 12-month audit placement students at Grant Thornton she is studying International business at Loughborough University, We asked her why she is doing a 12-month placement.

A placement year will allow me to explore what working is like and help me decide whether I want to continue working in that specific department after university. When securing a graduate job, most companies will ask about previous experience and why the role is suitable for you. A placement year will give me the confidence I need to ace interviews and secure the job I want.

Apart from the experience, a year in industry will help me understand what I study at university and how it can be used in the real world, as well as creating a work routine and a work-life balance. This will also make my final year of university easier as I can incorporate my experience in to my coursework and produce a much higher quality of work. This is important as the final year of university grades usually weigh the most towards your degree grade. It is also important to consider that for both final year coursework and graduate job applications, the students that have done a 12-month placement are automatically ahead of those who have not.

After doing more than fifty applications, my top tip for applying to placements is to identify the jobs you want, then find a student that is currently in the position you want to be for your placement year, and reach out to them on LinkedIn to ask for their insight on what the job tasks are like, what the work environment is like, and finally their tips on how to get through the application process.

Good luck on securing a 12-month placement!