When I applied to Bath for civil engineering, I looked at the various options for my degree. I could do a BEng or MEng with or without a placement year. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a placement year, so I applied for the three-year BEng course without one.

Deciding to apply for a placement

When I came back to Bath for second year, the placement team spoke to us more about why and how we could apply for placements. I realised that doing one as part of my degree would give me a much better idea of what I wanted to do after university, and would give me experience working as a Civil Engineer.

I spoke to the team and they explained that I could easily switch to a BEng with a placement year. I love that there is flexibility in degrees at Bath, meaning that I could add on the placement year, or if I had applied for one and changed my mind, I could have opted out of it. 

The application process

I decided to start applying to placements that I thought sounded interesting from the placement page and realised that I was drawn to those in coastal engineering, water engineering, and flooding. The page is put together by the placement team and has all the active options found and approved by the team.

Applying for these placements taught me about writing industry-specific cover letters, how to improve my CV, and different hiring procedures used by companies. I also sent a copy of my CV to the placement team so that they could make suggestions for any amendments they thought would be beneficial. 

After Christmas, I applied to some smaller companies that started advertising roles, with some of the smaller companies advertising to Bath students exclusively. This is because of the good relationships that the placement team has built with these companies.

In early spring I heard back from a smaller regional consultancy asking for an interview. I arranged to meet with the placement team to help me prepare for the interview, as well as arranging a call with the Bath student who was on placement at the company. This gave me a good insight into the company and gave me more confidence going into my interview. 

Gaining valuable experience on my placement

I got the placement in the Civil Engineering department where I would mainly be working on Flood Risk Analysis. It was encouraging to have positive feedback on my interview and a relief to have the placement sorted and be able to concentrate on my exams at the end of the second semester. 

I grew in confidence in the office and became a helpful member of my department. As well as learning technical skills specific to the industry I was working in, I also learnt helpful skills for working in a professional environment, like clear communication with colleagues and time management to meet different deadlines. 

I had two meetings with my assigned tutor throughout the year to discuss my progress. I also kept in touch with the placement team about a few queries I had.

Looking to the future

I was worried that I might find it hard going back to studying after having had a year away, but I felt refreshed from the break and ready for my final year. My placement helped me to establish a good work routine which I’ve taken forward into my final year. 

I will graduate this summer and feel much more equipped for life after university and applying for graduate jobs, as well as having a better idea of the areas of civil engineering that I find interesting.