Placements and internships
Placements and internships are just two of the ways you can gain work experience whilst at university. Hear from students who have taken up these opportunities and find out more about the support you can access in securing real world work experience.
Add a placement year
All Management School students on a three year undergraduate course, whether home or overseas, have the opportunity to add a placement year to their degree. A placement year gives you the chance to apply the skills you have learnt in your course to the working world. This isn’t something that needs to be applied for via UCAS - you can decide whether you want to pursue a placement year once you have arrived at university. You will usually start applying for placements in your second year. Whilst it will be your responsibility to find a placement, we will offer you lots of support from the moment you arrive in Sheffield.
By completing a placement year, you will develop a range of transferable skills, increase your confidence and become more commercially aware, which will benefit you in your final year of study as well as in your graduate career. You’ll find out what the world of work is really like and you will be paid a salary.
During your placement year, you will remain a registered student at the University. You will pay a reduced fee for the placement year, whilst still having full access to ongoing support from the Management School and the wider University.
If you complete a placement year, we will add ‘with Placement Year’ to your degree title to reflect the real-world working experience you have gained.
Students have recently completed placements at Amazon, BMW, Disney, as well as a range of SMEs and local companies.
Hear from our students about their placement experiences
Pursue an internship
If a full year long placement doesn’t appeal to you, or you are already on a four year undergraduate course, an internship is a great way to gain valuable work experience. An internship is a shorter work placement that will usually take place during a vacation period. They’re normally 9 to 12 weeks long and can be in person or remote. Whilst an internship won’t form an accredited part of your degree, it will help to boost your CV and enhance your skills to make you ready for the world of work.
Students have recently completed internships at companies such as Sky, Bright Network, Essence PR, Unilever and NatWest.
What support is available?
Alongside the support offered by the Employability Hub and Careers and Employability Advisors, the Management School employs a team of Employability Ambassadors. This is a team of current students who have all completed placements or internships and act on behalf of the school to promote these opportunities and to support students in securing the right work experience for them.
Employability Ambassadors will mentor students who are interested in doing a placement or internship, either in a 1-1 setting or in a group environment. They can check CVs, discuss career paths and give tips on how to succeed at assessment centres. The Ambassadors also share their experiences through talks as part of the Futures First module and through digital content, as well as working closely with the Management School’s Employability Team to ensure you are getting the right support and resources when you need it.