Welcome to part two of how to secure a placement! In this post, I will be sharing everything I did to prepare before starting the application process in my second year of university and hit the ground running.
Here's what I did in the summer after finishing Year 1:
1) Building up your exp!
1) Create my CV: CVs can be between 1-2 pages long depending on how much experience you have. Ideally for a Bioscience placement, it should be two pages. Don't worry if you can't initially fill it - there's so much to talk about from module grades to lab/uni projects to personal experience. If anything, you're likely to find that you'll have to trim it down to keep it to the 2 page limit.
2) Decide what type of placement you want to do and tailor your CV based on this. For Biosciences, placements can be an R&D role or office based. R&D CVs should highlight technical lab skills and projects you worked on, whereas office based roles should highlight more on communication, project management. All experiences listed on the CV should somehow be related to the type of positions you are applying for. Even though your current experiences may not be industry related, e.g. a part-time job, the key would be to focus on the transferable skills gained. (Employers know not everyone could have had access to industry-related work exp. At this point, they mainly hire on aptitude and potential).
3) Create a LinkedIn. At the University of Sheffield, you're asked to make a LinkedIn as part of the employability module for Year 2. But it's better to get started in making one in the summer before applying for placements, because a lot of job applications have a section where you can link your LinkedIn profile. It reads very well if you have one nicely set up and made with potentially 1-2 posts. The posts could be something as simple as Year 1 reflections or talking about a recent experience/ group project you did and what you took away from it. Many lecturers are also happy to connect to you on LinkedIn, too!
4) Make a list of all your relevant experience to-date.
5) Have in mind what comapnies you'd like to work for// when their job descriptions are released. Placement hub
7) Credit split for year 2
6) Once created your CV, get it checked before applyin- by placements team Many great templates.
8) create coverletter and then start adapting yoruu coverletter on based on job descriotions. chatgpt, gemini. coverletter - chatgpt or gemini. comapony values and why you want to work for them and how it aligns with your own exp . proof read coverletter before submitting. remove dashes made by AI. should be 1 page long
link: template R&D cv, template coverletter
3) Create a LinkedIn
Create linkedIn during the summer of first year & create one LinkedIn post. Create linkedIn because on many job applications they have a link to put it and it looks very professional if you have one . List all your skills and exps even if they seem “old”. skills are skills at the end of the day - right down to a new language you may be learning! On your linkedIn you can talk about projects you’ve done during your first year of uni, also any on going projects in year 2 as well. connect with your lecturers. make a post about any achievements or reflections
Gain some experience during first year/second year as you are applying for placements (lab exp, work part time job, volunteering locally - or at your university, online course, joining committee on a society (scinece soc, sports soc ect)
Decide on your credit split for next year (semester 1)!
Have a CV prepped. CV should be tailored to whether you want an R&D role or an office based job and tailor your CV based on that. (at end of post link a template CV). You can apply for both but if you tailor your CV it gives you more chance in the domain you’re applying for
Have in mind what sort of companies you are interested in working for - there are the big ones: Phizer, GSK, Astrazeneca ect but plenty other great companies too. Have a look on the placements job bank from last year to see when those job postsings came out so you know when to prepare
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