A placement year can give you the chance to spend an extended period working in a professional environment while completing your degree. It can help you understand an industry, build practical experience and test whether a particular type of work suits you before you graduate, but securing one takes planning.
Many employers recruit placement students alongside graduates and interns, while others advertise opportunities only when they have a specific need. Your university may also have rules about which roles can count towards your course. A good placement search therefore combines employer research, careful applications and regular communication with your university.
A placement year is one way to gain experience before graduation. Explore our Placement Years and Internships guide for the wider options.
A placement year is one way to gain experience before graduation. Explore our Placement Years and Internships guide for the wider options.
What is a placement year?
A placement year is an extended period of work completed as part of, or alongside, a university degree. It is sometimes called a year in industry, sandwich year or industrial placement. Placement years commonly take place between the earlier and final stages of a degree and involve working for an employer for a substantial part of an academic year. The exact structure varies by university and course.
Some degrees include a placement year as a formal option. Others may allow students to transfer onto a placement version of the course. Before applying, check how placements work at your university and whether there are any requirements around duration, job content, earnings or approval.
If you’re interested in exploring a shorter form of work experience you can check out our student internships article.
Why consider a placement year?
A placement can give you experience that is difficult to gain from university study alone. You may work with colleagues, clients, systems and deadlines in a professional setting. You can also learn more about how an organisation operates and what a particular career looks like day to day.
This can help you make more informed career decisions, for example you may discover that you enjoy the work and want to pursue it after graduation. Equally, deciding that a particular role or industry is not right for you can still be useful. A placement can also give you stronger examples for future CVs, applications and interviews. What matters is not simply that you completed a year in industry. The value comes from what you did, learned and contributed during the placement.
When should you start looking for a placement year?
Many students begin seriously looking during the academic year before their intended placement. Some large employers recruit well in advance, think the start of term in second year, while smaller organisations may advertise opportunities later. There is no single deadline for the whole placement market.
Rather than relying on one recruitment season, find out when employers in your target sector usually recruit and monitor opportunities regularly. Preparing early gives you time to:
- research different roles
- improve your CV
- understand your university’s requirements
- prepare for applications and the recruitment process
You do not need to submit applications as soon as you start researching. The aim is to avoid reaching an important deadline before you have decided what you want.
Where can you find placement year opportunities?
Your university
Your university careers service or placement team is a strong place to start. They may advertise roles specifically for students at your university or have existing relationships with employers. They can also explain whether a vacancy meets your course requirements, and might offer CV and interview support.
Placement and graduate job boards
Specialist student and graduate job sites can help you find opportunities across several employers. GRB advertises placement opportunities alongside graduate jobs and internships. Set up useful alerts rather than manually repeating the same search every day.
Employer careers websites
If particular organisations interest you, check their careers pages directly. Some employers advertise placement programmes alongside graduate schemes and internships. Do not rely on only one phrase when searching, use other terms such as:
- industrial placement
- year in industry
- sandwich placement
- undergraduate placement
- student placement
Careers fairs and employer events
Employer events can help you understand which organisations recruit placement students and what their roles involve. For more on approaching employers and asking useful questions at these events, check out our Career Fairs guide.
Professional contacts
Lecturers, university alumni, previous placement students and people you know through work or societies may help you learn about employers in your target area. Use contacts to gather information rather than immediately asking someone to find you a job.
Keeping track of applications
A placement search becomes easier when you know which organisations you want to monitor. Start with employers already advertising suitable opportunities. Then add organisations that operate in your preferred industry, location or type of work. Your list does not need to contain only major brands – smaller employers can also provide substantial responsibility and useful experience.
For each organisation, record information like locations, application closing dates, entry requirements and your application status. Update the list as you learn more. The aim is to create a manageable search rather than trying to remember every opportunity you have seen.
Check what your university requires
A job that looks ideal may not automatically qualify as an approved placement for your course. Your university may have requirements around how long the placement lasts, the type of work, salary and working hours. You may also need the placement approved before accepting it. Check who manages placements within your universities department and understand the process before making commitments. This is particularly important if you find an opportunity independently rather than through your university.
How to choose the right placement
Do not judge a placement only by the employer name or salary, instead find out what you would actually spend your time doing and whether the work would help you understand or develop towards a career that interests you.
Look at:
- The work. Will you be doing meaningful tasks or mainly providing general support?
- Learning. Will you have opportunities to develop useful knowledge or skills?
- Support. Who will manage you, and how will you receive feedback?
- Location. Can you realistically live or commute there?
- Pay and costs. Can you afford the practical arrangements?
- Length. Does it fit your course requirements?
Completing a placement will not determine your entire career, but it should give you enough useful experience to make the year worthwhile.
How much do placement years pay?
Placement pay varies considerably. The amount can depend on the sector, employer, location and type of skills involved, and can even be unpaid or below minimum wage, although some universities do not allow their students to complete placements paid below minimum wage.
Larger structured programmes and technical or specialist roles may pay differently from opportunities with smaller organisations or in other sectors. Structured placement programmes also often have set salary bands, so there may be little or no scope for individual negotiation. Smaller employers may operate differently.
If the salary is not clearly stated, find out what the role pays before becoming too committed to an opportunity.
Compare salary with the real cost of the placement
A higher salary does not automatically mean a better financial outcome. Think about where you would actually need to live and what the placement would cost you. Consider your expenses such as rent, transport, relocation costs and essential spending, for example food. Although one placement may offer more money, if it requires you to relocate to a much more expensive area you may end up with a lower disposable income, so compare what you are likely to have left after essential costs rather than looking only at the headline salary.
Salary really does matter, particularly when you need to support yourself during the placement year, and it should be considered alongside the quality of the role, experience available and practical cost of taking it.
Prepare your CV and applications
Placement applications deserve the same care as applications for graduate roles, except your employer knows you are still a student, so they will not expect years of professional experience.
Focus on evidence that shows you could succeed in the role.
Your CV might include:
- relevant modules
- part-time work
- volunteering
- societies
Do not list everything you have done with equal weight. Prioritise the evidence most closely connected to the role.
When answering application questions or writing a cover letter, explain why you want that particular placement. Explain what interests you about the work, organisation or industry and connect it to something from your own background.
Prepare for tests and interviews
Placement recruitment can involve several stages. Depending on the employer, you may encounter application questions, online assessments, video interviews, telephone interviews, assessment centres or final interviews. Check the employer's instructions before each stage. Do not assume that every organisation uses the same process.
Before an interview, return to the original job description. Make sure you understand the basics like what the role involves, why you applied and why the employer interests you. If you submitted an application several weeks earlier, reread it before the interview.
What if you keep getting rejected?
Rejection is common when applying for competitive placements. Do not assume one rejection means you are unsuitable for placement work. Instead, look for patterns. If you rarely get past the application stage, check whether you’re meeting the essential requirements for the placements you are applying to, that your CV is clear and tailored, and you are explaining your motivations convincingly.
If you regularly reach interviews but do not receive offers, focus more on interview preparation and the examples you use, and use feedback where employers provide it. Also ask your university careers service to review your approach if you are unsure where the problem lies. The aim is to change something specific rather than simply submitting more applications in the same way.
What if you cannot find a placement?
Keep looking while opportunities are still realistic, but stay in contact with your university. Do not apply for work you have no genuine interest in simply to secure any placement. If a placement year does not happen, it does not mean you cannot gain useful experience during university. Contact your university and find out when the deadline for confirming a placement year is, and if you can’t secure one usually you will be transferred to the no-placement route.
Internships, part-time work, volunteering, projects and other forms of experience can still help you develop. For more on shorter opportunities, check out our Student Internships article.
Common placement year mistakes
Starting the search too late
Some employers recruit well before the placement starts. Begin researching early enough to understand the market and prepare properly.
Searching only for famous employers
A recognised company name does not automatically mean a better placement. Consider the actual work and support you would receive.
Ignoring university requirements
Check whether a role can be approved before becoming too committed to it.
Undervaluing university experience
You may not have much professional experience yet. Projects, societies, part-time work and other responsibilities can still provide strong examples.
Giving up after several rejections
Placement searches can take time. Review what is happening at each stage and improve the part that appears to be limiting your progress.
Key takeaways
Securing a placement year starts with understanding what type of work you want and what your university requires.
Research early because employers recruit at different times. Use several search routes, including your university, specialist job sites and employer careers pages. Build a target list and keep track of applications and deadlines.
Choose placements based on the work and learning available rather than employer name alone. Use university projects, part-time work and wider activities to demonstrate your potential. Prepare properly each recruitment stage and learn from patterns in unsuccessful applications.
Most importantly, focus on finding a placement that gives you useful experience and fits your degree rather than simply securing the first opportunity available.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell whether a placement will be approved by my university?
Check your university’s placement requirements before accepting the role. Your department may have rules around duration, working hours, salary, job content or the type of supervision provided. Some universities also require formal approval before you commit. If you found the opportunity independently, send the details to the placement team and ask whether it meets the course requirements. Do not assume that a good employer or relevant job will automatically qualify. Confirming this early can prevent problems after you have already accepted an offer.
Should I prioritise placement experience over salary?
Salary matters, particularly if you need to cover rent, travel and other living costs during the year. However, the highest-paying placement is not automatically the best option. Compare the actual work, learning opportunities, support and relevance to your career alongside the financial package. Also consider the cost of living in the location, as a higher salary may be offset by expensive accommodation or commuting. The strongest placement is usually one that is financially realistic while still giving you useful experience and meaningful responsibility.
What should I ask about the role before accepting a placement?
Ask what your day-to-day responsibilities will be, who will supervise you and how feedback is provided. Find out whether you will work on real projects, which teams you may interact with and what previous placement students have typically done. You should also confirm the location, working pattern, salary and placement length. If the role description is vague, ask for more detail before accepting. A placement should give you enough meaningful work and support to make the year useful, rather than simply filling general administrative gaps.
Can I apply for placements that are not directly related to my degree?
Yes, if the role fits your interests and your university allows it. Employers may care more about the skills and potential you can demonstrate than whether the placement exactly matches your course title. Check the vacancy requirements and think about how your degree, projects and wider experience relate to the work. You should also confirm that the placement can count towards your course if formal approval is required. A placement in a different but relevant field can still give you useful experience and help you test another career direction.
What should I do if I keep reaching interviews but not getting offers?
Focus on the later stages of your applications rather than simply submitting more forms. Review the questions you were asked, the examples you used and whether your answers clearly showed why you wanted the placement. Practise explaining your experience in a structured way and return to each job description before the interview. Use employer feedback where available and ask your university careers service for support if needed. Reaching interviews suggests your applications are already generating interest, so improving interview performance may be the most useful next step.
Should I stop applying once I have a placement offer?
Not until you are comfortable that the offer is suitable and has been accepted properly. First, check the role, salary, location, start date, working arrangements and any university approval requirements. Make sure you understand the contract and whether your department needs to confirm that the placement qualifies for your course. Once everything is clear and you have formally accepted an offer you want, you can withdraw from other active applications professionally. Avoid stopping your search based only on an informal indication that an offer is likely.
