BSc (Hons) Sociology student Claudia speaks about why she chose to do a professional placement as part of her degree, the options it has given her ahead of graduation, and her successes while working for the College of Policing.
Finding out why a placement was right for me
When I decided to study at Bath, I wasn’t actually going to do a placement. I chose the 3-year option of BSc (Hons) Sociology, but once I started and found out more, I decided to change to the 4-year with a professional placement.
This was partly because my classmates and friends were all planning to do placements and partly because, through speaking to a peer mentor and doing some research, I became more aware of what it was and what it could do for my skills and experience.
It was great to have the flexibility to make that choice. It’s ended up being the best thing I’ve ever done and something I’d recommend to anyone.
Finding the right place
Once I’d got into the position to pick my placement, there were loads of options. The placements team at Bath advertises lots of opportunities through a portal, which I logged into every day!
This is where I found the Civil Service’s Government Social Research (GSR) internship scheme. It’s a bit unusual, as you don’t apply for a set ‘job’; they instead ask you to complete a series of tests that are followed by an interview. If they accept you, they assign a role suited to your skills. The process included some tests, mainly in maths and problem-solving, and an interview. As Bath students regularly do this, I received bespoke training from my placements officer to help me prepare.
I was successful and got offered a position in the College of Policing as a Social Research Intern, which I was really happy about.
I’ve finished my placement now and have been accepted for the Government Social Research Scheme – which is a graduate scheme within the Civil Service. I found out about this, and applied for it, during my placement. It’s a great opportunity to start my career and was only possible because of my placement.