The Professional Business Diploma work experience placement happens in the final term of the course, and creates much excitement amongst our students!
Every year, we place every single one of our students in a business sector they are interested in for a full week of work experience. That can be PR, fashion, recruitment, management consultancy, hospitality and events, property, communications, wealth management, and interior design – to name just a few of the different business sectors they can gain experience in.
The students spend a full working week in the office working environment, and are expected to complete tasks to a high professional standard and interact as part of the workplace team.
Our partner recruitment agencies support us with the placement process, many of whom are London-based. They know there is a high demand for our students due to the skills they learn whilst studying with us, and we are grateful for their support during this important week of the academic year.
This exciting week of real-life work experience holds several benefits for our students –
Gaining Confidence For Their Early Career
Our students will gain confidence in putting their skills into practice in real-world professional work tasks. Whilst their assignments will often have been based on workplace simulated tasks, there is nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you can easily complete tasks expected of you on your first day in a real business environment. Employers are often quickly impressed.
Helping Young People Get A Job They Really Want
They will also experience the reality of working in a sector of interest. If the sector and role meet their expectations, they know they can target their first employment role in it following graduation. If they do not feel the sector is right for them, they can discount it and focus their job search efforts elsewhere.
Professional Experience & An Employer CV Reference
They will also begin to understand the pace and requirements for working in an office. Up until this point, the majority of our students have never been in full-time employment. While on the placement, they will be expected to dress professionally, arrive on time, work a full week, and interact with their peers and seniors professionally. Many of our students achieve fantastic references following their placement, which they can then include on their CV.
Gaining Relevant Business Experience
They can also get a taste for different job roles within a smaller business placement. For example, one of our graduates, Rosanagh, got a feel for a variety of different business functions and how they support each other in her week with boutique recruitment agency Bain and Gray. Read more about her experience here in her blog.
The Potential Of Getting A First Job Offer
Every year, we have students who impress their employers so much that they are offered permanent first jobs from their placements. If they have enjoyed the placement, this is a win-win situation for both the employer and the student. Read about Phoebe, who gained a placement with global property business Savills following her work experience there in July 2023.
Many of our students are ready to enter their early careers after intensively studying with us for a year. While the majority of our students will launch their careers immediately, a few will enjoy the work experience week and then take a gap year or go on to study for a university degree. Either way, our students always gain a huge amount from the experience of the placement week.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Professional Business Diploma curriculum, then you can contact us here.