Looking for a placement
The beginning of Stage 2 is a good time to start looking for a placement, though many people finalise their choice as late as June/July after their Stage 2 exams. Some information and resources to help in your search:- Information on the placements degree, options for taking a placement, job adverts and the placement handbook can be found on the School website.
- The University Careers Service offers information on vacancies (Vacancies Online) and can give advice on applications, CV writing etc.
- A linkedIn group for Computing Science Industrial Placements which includes past and current placement students who can offer advice on their experience
- Other resources external to the University include Rate My Placement and Year In Industry (YINI)
On placement in 2013-14
First steps
- Check the Placement handbook for:
- Assignments (organisation structure report, log book, presentation, reflective report). Specifications for these assignments are given below.
- Forms: you need to complete Form 2 soon after you begin, to update your contact details and confirm you've had a company induction. Form 2 can be completed online via the ISS forms service, or you can complete the Form from the placement handbook.
- We also need a copy of your employer's Employee Liability Insurance certificate along with the form: either upload a copy of it when completing Form 2 online, or send a copy in the post (address is on the form).
- Visits. You can expect a visit from us, around Sept-Nov, to check all is going well and meet your supervisor/mentor. We will be in touch to organise this, so please be aware that we need up to date contact details.
Assignments
Four assignments are completed during the placement year. Specifications and deadlines follow below.If you may need an extension for an assignment, let us know as soon as possible (unlike all other University coursework, this does not need a PEC form). We appreciate that the demands of your employer may make some University deadlines hard to meet, so we can be flexible as long as we know about it.
- Organisation Structure Report. Due 25 November 2013, 22:00
A short (2 page) overview of the main function and structure of the local organisation, how you (or your team, group or sub-unit) fit into that structure, and your current roles and responsibilities.
Specification: pdf
- Log book. Due 8 August 2014, 17:00
A record of details of work and roles undertaken during your industrial placement. This log should be updated regularly, whenever there is new material to add, for example start or finish of a piece of work, training undertaken, in-house reviews conducted or a new role performed. The format of log entries is not prescribed, but short, concise, dated entries are encouraged.
Specification: pdf
- Presentation. Due approx. August 2014
Prepare a powerpoint presentation to last 15 minutes (including questions) summarising your placement year: your experience, responsibilities, achievements and lessons learnt.
The presentation is to be delivered to an audience including other placement students, Computing Science staff and your industrial supervisors (where possible). The venue of the presentation will either be at the university or if this is not practicable, alternative arrangements will be made such as a virtual net meeting (WebEx or Collaborate) or a company venue.
Specification: pdf
- Reflective Report. Due 8 August 2014, 17:00
Use your log book and experience gained during the placement year to help you write a reflective report which describes the experience you have gained during the placement, in terms of achievements, lessons learnt and future plans. Describe major pieces of work completed, responsibilities and contribution to any other work or projects undertaken by your organisation.
Specification: pdf
Communications
- Make sure you check your Newcastle email address regularly: we will use this for to contact you about visits, admin issues, pre-registration, assignments etc.
- LinkedIn group: Please join the LinkedIn group Placements in 2013-14. Invitations have been sent to all students, but you may still need to be approved to join the group - this should only take a few days. Please use the group for raising questions - you may find other students are able to answer them more quickly than staff on occasion.
- NESS: Assignments are submitted through Ness in the usual way.
What you should expect from your employer
- Induction: company rules and policies, including Health and Safety
- Mentoring: normally in addition to line management, someone responsible for helping you get settled in, discussing aims, reviewing progress
- Training: As appropriate for your role, may be self-taught or with instruction
Making the Most of the Placement
Some lessons from previous placement students:- Make the most of opportunities that arise - not only technical ones, but extra stuff like organising (social or technical) events, participating in "Giveback" or other community initiatives.
- If you have a good idea, share it - a fresh pair of eyes can often see improvements to the way a task is done
- Ask questions! There's no such thing as a stupid question, particularly in the first few weeks of the placement when you're still finding your feet
- Accommodation. It may take longer than you expect to find somewhere to live. Make use of employer support, facebook groups, previous students experience. Think about travel costs when choosing where to live. If based in London, see the FAQ about Oyster cards below.
FAQs
- Student Status: If you've changed onto the placement degree, the change normally takes place over the summer: we send the batch of course transfer forms to Student Progress, who will contact the LEA/Student Finance
- Registration. At the start of term, register via S3P as usual. You don't need to scan your smartcard on Campus.
- Proof of placement. Student Finance may ask you for proof of placement. If you need it now, CS reception can give you a copy of the signed placement approval form; once you've registered on S3P at the start of the academic year, you will be able to print a "Certificate of Attendance" to send to Student Finance.
- You can get a discounted Oyster Card by completing a form on the Transport for London website. You need to send it to us, to verify your status.
- In case of problems, contact the School Placements Coordinator (Steve.Riddle@ncl.ac.uk, 0191 222 5156).