Education & Reference Placement

[Gus]

Any uni students here doing/have done placement for part of their studies?

I'm in my 3rd year of a Bachelor of Journalism and have to do placement as part of the course. I'm heading out to Port Lincoln to work for their local newspaper.

Has anyone else done similar in their studies? Any course, Iknow there are plenty of teaching and nursing students who do placements. Care to share some experiences? Have any of you got a job directly from placement?

 

[aaronm46]

That one's found the gap, great placement.......


will be doing similar next year

 

[GatorDisco]

If you are working at the Port Lincoln Times, tell me. I used to work there for about 2 years. Was a columnist for them. I'll can give you some advice if you want mate.

 

[Gus]

If you are working at the Port Lincoln Times, tell me. I used to work there for about 2 years. Was a columnist for them. I'll can give you some advice if you want mate.

I've sent you a private message.

 

[BarneyBent]

Not placement, but as part of my postgrad studies (which I'll do from 2013 onwards, marks permitting) I'll have to work in a clinic for 2 years.

 

[Jethro!]

I've done plenty of placements and whilst you learn a lot it's hard to manage to live out of home during.
I got my current job directly from a 3rd year placement in a Psychiatric Disability Rehab Service and still work there whilst finishing my 5th year at uni. We also get students doing placements here.

Obviously very different fields but the advice I can give is don't go in and act like you know everything and treat what you have learnt at uni as gospel. Experience counts for a lot and your supervisors will have plenty of it. It can alientate them and cost you a potential good mark and future reference as has happened with students here.
I also think whilst it's important to be independant in placement your supervisor will want to be utilised so ask them questions and remember there are no dumb ones.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Yep. Did placement at two government secondary schools last year as a part of my Master of Teaching. Was enjoyable, but testing at the same time. Needless to say the first time I stood up the front of the class to teach I was shitting myself. The best part of it was meeting some awesome teachers. The staffroom at one school provided teh lulz every morning tea and lunch. I am a registered teacher now (biology and history), but am yet to find work.

 

[THRILLHO]

Yep. Did the same course as PP. Very intense, massive workloads but incredibly enjoyable. Had two great placements and scored my job at my second placement.

Every organisation agrees to placements for students as a "try before you buy". It's a way for them to get a look at you and as such, it can be an excellent audition. Take it seriously, get some good contacts and potential referees and you might end up with a job from it. Or at the very least some contacts.

 

[prankmonkey]

dont be afraid to ask lots of questions. your supervisor will expect you to ask so dont think you'll sound stupid for asking. you're there to learn, so try and work around as many people as you can to get a feel of how the business works. also try and even follow others that aren't specifically in your area of study.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Yep. Did the same course as PP. Very intense, massive workloads but incredibly enjoyable. Had two great placements and scored my job at my second placement.

Every organisation agrees to placements for students as a "try before you buy". It's a way for them to get a look at you and as such, it can be an excellent audition. Take it seriously, get some good contacts and potential referees and you might end up with a job from it. Or at the very least some contacts.

The course is so full own. Everyone is basically dead by the end of it lol.


Nice one on getting the job.

 

[GatorDisco]

I've sent you a private message.

The place was a shithole, I hated it, thought I'd tell everyone on here because they treated me so terribly it wasn't funny. They've got new management since I left though so hopefully its okay now.

 

[Gus]

yeah.. right.

 

[rizzo]

Few pointers Gus:

- Learn as much as you can, ask questions, talk to the journos.
- Think of some possible story ideas or ways different angles to stories they have already done.
- Don't worry if you don't get anything published. If you do, cut it out and keep it for a folio when you go for jobs.
- Ask for an extension if you enjoy it, show that you are keen, even if your not getting paid.
- If a sub editor changes your story, always ask for what you could do to improve it or ask why they changed it. Best to stamp out any style issues early before they become habit.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

 

[Shockdown]

Currently doing placement for the year (2 months in) as part of the IBL program offered by Swinburne, figured grades arnt going to cut it when I'm out in the real world going for jobs, but this experience should keep me up there in shortlists

But anyways to answer the OP I'm doing a Bach of Business (Finance) and been involved with Tax at GlaxoSmithKline. Experiences so far? It's not as overwhelming as I first thought, the people I work with are fantastic and I have learnt more in this short space of time then I have when studying tax at Uni. Can I get a job out of it? Perhaps, the company have kept previous IBL students in the past, but it is rare these days apparantly, but having the company and fantastic references will get me a job over HD students from Melb/Monash, I can dream

 

[Gus]

Few pointers Gus:

- Learn as much as you can, ask questions, talk to the journos.
- Think of some possible story ideas or ways different angles to stories they have already done.
- Don't worry if you don't get anything published. If you do, cut it out and keep it for a folio when you go for jobs.
- Ask for an extension if you enjoy it, show that you are keen, even if your not getting paid.
- If a sub editor changes your story, always ask for what you could do to improve it or ask why they changed it. Best to stamp out any style issues early before they become habit.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

Thanks mate- I'm guessing you are a journo too?

This will certainly be a dress rehearsal for any career I have. I'll probably try to get a full time spot there after I finish this year.

 

[crackers57]

Any uni students here doing/have done placement for part of their studies?

I'm in my 3rd year of a Bachelor of Journalism and have to do placement as part of the course. I'm heading out to Port Lincoln to work for their local newspaper.

Has anyone else done similar in their studies? Any course, Iknow there are plenty of teaching and nursing students who do placements. Care to share some experiences? Have any of you got a job directly from placement?

Do you back it up by doing stats at an SANFL club and cover the local netball whilst closely studying fashion trends?

 

[Gus]

Do you back it up by doing stats at an SANFL club and cover the local netball whilst closely studying fashion trends?

No. Unfortunately I have neither the skill, nor fashion nous, of Ben.

 

[shibz_1989]

For my Bachelor of Nursing we do a total of 30 weeks of prac over 3 years. It is split up into 5 week blocks (one every semester), which is 40 hours a week. It is quite hard when you live out of home, but I've survived so far. The first prac I did I did 80 hour weeks just so I could pay rent. Almost burned myself out.

 

[crackers57]

For my Bachelor of Nursing we do a total of 30 weeks of prac over 3 years. It is split up into 5 week blocks (one every semester), which is 40 hours a week. It is quite hard when you live out of home, but I've survived so far. The first prac I did I did 80 hour weeks just so I could pay rent. Almost burned myself out.

But you get the uniform, yeah?

 

[mojito]

Has anyone else done similar in their studies? Any course, Iknow there are plenty of teaching and nursing students who do placements. Care to share some experiences? Have any of you got a job directly from placement?

Friend of mine did her teaching placement a while ago. I can't exactly remember where she went, but it was somewhere out in the sticks. She couldn't stay in the town where her placement was (due to nobody able to house her for a week there) so she ended up finding a place about an hour away. Not so bad, but when you're required to get up at the crack of dawn it'd be ****ing horrendous.

 

[shibz_1989]

But you get the uniform, yeah?

Totally

 

[crackers57]

Totally

You know the drill Shibz

 

[-CG-]

Same situation as Gus.

Currently working on lining something up with the ABC Grandstand guys in Adelaide. Hopefully I'll be able to get a taste of radio, and online stuff including spending some time with them at the footy. Should be fun

 

[Gus]

from what I understand you should be able to get in there easy if they have a spot. Didn't realise you did so much writing outside of uni.