Starting placement could be very nerve-wracking, especially if you have never worked full time before, which was the case for me. Depending on what type of course you do your placement in, most of them are office-based. I had never worked in an office prior to my placement, so this was a big deal to me.  

One of the things that helped me settle into placement is, during the semesters, instead of just learning content for exams, I would remember that this is the same knowledge that I would need apply in placement. I not only memorised the content for the exams but wanted to understand the content for placement. Doing this ensures that, whilst you’re in placement, even though there are serval people that are always willing to help or teach, you can rely on yourself for knowledge, which also saves time from relearning during placement.  

Another thing that helped me settle in was by PwC themselves, the company I did my placement with. We had a few weeks of online training before going physically into office and getting involved with professional team and clients. The online training consisted of a bit of everything, from admin matters and revisiting some knowledge, to showing us how to use their online applications and who to reach out to specific matters. Showing us how to use the online application and IT systems really helped the most because that is what I had been most unfamiliar with.  

When I started going into the office after training, we had an office tour showing where everything is, this helped me get my way around the office. I really recommend keeping up with updates on messages and emails sent by fellow colleagues because that’s how I found out about the office tour and other helpful things that made it easier to settle into placement.  

Lastly, the jump from being a university student to working full time was tricky. However, with time you adjust naturally. Colleagues know that it might be your first time in 9-5 setting, so you can always communicate with your team and express your concerns. I was able to adjust by knowing I have a routine to follow and after work doing things for myself that I enjoy. Keeping that balance between work and personal life meant that I would have something to look forward to after the day at the office. Having a balance also makes sure you can make the most out of placement in terms of learning new skills and socialising/networking. 

Written by Farzana, current BSc Accounting student at AMBS

Related