Dev Bhatt, 4th Year Computer Science student
What motivated you to apply for a placement year in the first place?
At first, it was just because that is what you are meant to do. I chose the placement option as part of my degree. I wanted to do a placement because it felt like a longer internship, and I could do meaningful stuff in a year compared to 12 weeks. Eventually, looking back, it wasn't just about applying. I got so much out of my placement and learnt a lot that I wouldn't have learnt or applied at university.
How did you find your placement, and what made you choose this particular organisation?
I found my placement through the standard application process, and it was actually my second placement offer. What made me choose this organisation was the opportunity to rotate across two different teams. This gave me a chance to understand the business side of the company before moving into a more technical role, which helped me develop a broader perspective.
I was also drawn to the organisation's values. As a Wealth Management firm with a strong focus on sustainable investing and responsible business practices, its ethos really aligned with my own interests. I had always known that I wanted to build a career in technology within the finance sector, and this placement felt like a great opportunity to gain relevant experience while working for an organisation whose values I admired.
What’s been the biggest challenge, and what have you learnt from it?
For me, it was nerves at first. I was very nervous coming in and quickly found out there was so much I didn't know and had never heard of. However, eventually I settled down and things slowly started clicking, and I think that was a good foundation for me to do well in my placement. I've learnt to be more extroverted when needed. I wouldn't have liked talking to people I did not know beforehand, and now it's made me more comfortable. I also learnt that to do well, you need to talk to people and ask for opportunities; I was able to work on great projects and meet new great people because of this.
How has the placement changed the way you think about your degree or career?
It definitely was a wake-up call for me. Looking back, I didn't really try that hard in 1st year and 2nd year, in my opinion. I did well and got by, and there were a few opportunities that came up and I applied for, but there was no passion or motivation. Once coming back from a placement, I feel like I know what I want to do and a better understanding on how to get there. So in my final year, I am locked in. Not for the sake of getting a good grade, but just to gain more knowledge to be a better engineer. I've also been made Hackathon Lead for the Computer Science society, so I've been able to get more leadership experience by leading teams in hackathons (we recently won 3rd place at Google DeepMind's Challenge). I feel like building and applying skills you learn is more important than just exams in the long run.
What would you say to a Computer Science student who’s on the fence about doing a placement year?
Personally, I view it as a no-brainer. You will still finish your degree either way and get to learn more than what you originally would have. It's more important these days to have experience before you graduate. If you don't have any experience, try building something in your own time and apply either way. A big part of it is failing when you are in the application process, and even then, you are still learning something. So even if you don't get one, you still learn something transferable to applying to grad schemes.