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Making a positive impact during my placement

Student Molly McMaster talks about joining Interserve Construction for her placement and the skills and experience she gained during her year with the company.

Molly standing beside the lake on campus.
'Placements give you an amazing opportunity to transfer what you learn at university into real-life situations.'

Molly is a final year student on the MEng (hons) Civil Engineering course at Bath.

Working to make a difference

Having grown up intrigued about how things were built, I was excited at the opportunity to join Interserve Construction for my placement year working on a highways improvement scheme. Not many jobs can compare with being able to say, 'I helped build that', and I left my placement with the feeling that I'd worked on a job that had positively impacted people’s quality of life.

My role

Construction sites are constantly evolving with a new set of problems to solve each day, often with a different workforce on each different part of the site. My role as a Site Engineer required me to be organised and multitask, often in numerous, challenging environments. My 'typical' day involved setting out for multiple infrastructural installations as well as consolidating plans and calculations.

While working for Interserve, I was given several opportunities to represent the company, one being at the Women in Construction Summit in London. Being a female in construction is empowering and after this event I worked with the company’s diversity team to address how the company can improve.

Unlocking new opportunities

Due to the connections I developed from my placement year, I have gained further opportunities to work with Interserve. Most recently, I worked as a Site Engineer on a water treatment works. Placements like these give you an amazing opportunity to transfer what you learn at university into real-life situations and vice versa when you return.

Support from the University

Molly standing beside a building on campus.
Molly received help with her placement application from the Placements team.

The Placements team at Bath are an incredibly supportive group of people who care for you, not only through your application process but also while you are out on placement. They regularly check in, answering questions or assisting in any problems which may arise.

Doing a placement year is one of the best decisions you can make while at university. You will find yourself constantly learning; improving your skills and knowledge through invaluable experiences. The year flies by, so make sure you make the most out of the opportunities given to you. You will not regret it.