If you’re due to go out on placement next year, there might be students on the same course as you who are currently in their final year who completed their placement already, and they are here to help you get your placement too; we call them, Placement Reps. Whether you are an undergraduate or a postgraduate student, Placement Reps are there to help you!

What is a Placement Rep? 

Placement Reps are final year students who have already completed a placement, who want to help you along your journey to securing a sandwich placement. In most cases, they were in the exact same position you were in 2 years ago, not really knowing where to start with the whole process, maybe not sure a placement was for them, or if they could even get one. At the end of their placement year, we invited them to be ‘official’ Placement Reps of Sheffield Hallam and they work on a voluntary basis because they’re passionate about helping others like you. 

What can they do to help?  

Depending on the kind of thing you might need, they could offer help in a variety of different ways. Here are some of the ways Placement Reps have helped in the past: 

• They give you the honest answers to your questions, like what a placement is actually like 
• They might have useful insider information about applying for placements in the same industry 
• They can tell you what they wish they had done earlier in their second year 
• They help out at Careers Fairs to break the ice with some employers 
• They run workshops and events on particular topics they’re passionate about, like mental health awareness in the workplace, healthy eating with a busy schedule etc. 
• 1:1 or small group coaching and mentoring support 
• Or, they simply tell their story 

We recruit around 100 Placement Reps per year and they all come from a range of backgrounds, have varying levels of academic ability and each have their own unique perspective. If you think only a certain type of student goes on placement, our Placement Reps might surprise you. 

How do I get help from them? 

If you’re interested, contact workexperience@shu.ac.uk and we will put you in touch with one of the Reps. 

What do they get out of it?  

Well, as final year students, they’re extremely busy people so they give up their time on a voluntary basis purely to try and help you to succeed. Doing this kind of work does help them to develop their own Graduate Attributes, and Placement Rep activity is eligible for recognition by them completing the Hallam Award, so they receive recognition that way. The very best of them are nominated to receive an Inspirational Student Award too. By helping you out, it also gives them a genuine sense of satisfaction and feeling of making a difference, and it doesn’t do their prospects of securing a graduate job after university any harm either!