Taking a year out of your studies for a work or volunteering placement has many benefits, find out how we can support you to do this. Why consider undertaking a year placement?Employers seek a diverse range of skills and experience in the graduates they employ. Placements help you to develop valuable transferable skills that can be applied in numerous job sectors.Transferable skillsFuture employers look beyond the knowledge gained through the university degree programme and look for graduates who can demonstrate many transferable skills such as:Effective communicationResilienceCommercial awarenessPlanning and research skillsLeadership and managementAdaptabilityTeamwork and interpersonal skillsA placement offers the opportunity for students to gain demonstratable experience and skills. Finding a placementCareers ServiceThe Careers Service is dedicated to offering advice on looking for work. Looking for workApplyingIf you see a placement that you would really like to do, draft a CV and anything else the application asks for.Before you submit your application, use our CV 360 digital resource first. You can also come to our Information Drop-In for further application support, as well as book into appointments with Careers Consultants. The Careers Service can also help with interview practice.CV 360Use our interactive CV resource on Careers Service Plus to gain feedback, available 24/7.CV 360If you are successful at finding a placement, inform your Student Adviser and the Biology Teaching Organisation so that we can advise you on the processes of applying for an interruption of studies. Year-long opportunitiesThe School of Biological Sciences encourages students to apply for and undertake year-long work experience placements during their academic studies.Industrial PlacementsEach link below will provide more information on some funding bodies and organisations that may offer industrial placements to students:AstraZenecaNovartisLillyJ.P. MorganIAESTE UKEarlham InstituteThere are more resources on the Careers Service Plus School page.Interruption of StudiesThose that apply for and successfully secure a placement would take an interruption of studies after their third (Junior Honours) year of their degree for a period of 12 months. The student would return to the University of Edinburgh to complete their fourth (Senior Honours) year after their placement has ended. An important point to note is that any placement year undertaken as part of an interruption of studies, does not contribute towards the final degree classification.Year-long industrial placements are generally advertised by employers for the attention of students who are in their penultimate year at university. It is also possible to self-arrange placements within the conservation sector, which are usually voluntary. The Biological Sciences Academic Placement Coordinator is Dr Bart Pander (Bart.Pander@ed.ac.uk), who can offer informal advice and answer specific questions about the eligibility of a placement for interruption of studies.Interruption of StudiesInternational Students Students studying with a visa should seek advice on applying for industrial placements from the Student Immigration Service because taking an Interruption of Studies will have implications on your visa.Student Immigration Service This article was published on 2024-06-17
