Placement stories: A gateway to future success

Stella Kazamia, our Director of Employability at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, highlights that Professional Training placements offer a unique chance to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. She highlights that these placements provide more than just hands-on experience – they encourage enhanced problem-solving skills, build professional networks, and give students a competitive edge in the job market.

One of the key benefits of these placements is their significant impact on employability. As Stella notes, graduates leave the University of Surrey with both a degree and practical experience that distinguishes them in a competitive job market. Many students have shared success stories of how their placements led to full-time employment, often with the companies where they trained.

Here, we explore the experiences of some of our BSc Computer Science undergraduate students—Mazen, Daniel, Miranda and Ashwin —whose placements have been instrumental in their journey towards a successful future.

Mazen: Innovation within a high-pressure environment

Mazen's placement with Amazon's EU Supply Chain team gave him the opportunity to work on logistics, specifically focusing on minimising discrepancies between planned inventory volumes and actual arrivals at warehouses. "I wanted practical experience in a real-world setting to complement my academic knowledge and enhance my employability" Mazen explains. His experience went beyond just learning the ropes—he led a project where he developed an automation tool that significantly reduced the time spent on weekly data dives, from several hours to just a few minutes. This not only streamlined the team's workflow but also showcased Mazen's ability to innovate and lead within a high-pressure environment.

Mazen’s advice to other students is simple but effective: "Start your search early, tailor your applications, and leverage your network for opportunities—apply everywhere." His proactive approach and the experience he gained have positioned him well for a successful career.

Daniel: Securing a graduate role through a strategic placement

Daniel's placement experience was a game-changer, leading directly to a graduate role with the same employer. His goal was to gain hands-on experience and boost his employment prospects —all of which he achieved. "I was offered a role at the end of my placement, which took the pressure off finding a job in my final year" Daniel shares. The experience also gave him a strong foundation for his early career, allowing him to enter the workforce with confidence and a ready-made network of colleagues.

Daniel encourages students to treat the application process as seriously as they would a full-time job search, emphasising the importance of demonstrating the value they can bring to a prospective employer.

Miranda: Gaining real-world experience at Oxford Economics

For Miranda her placement year at Oxford Economics in London was a pivotal experience, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry practice. ‘I gained technical skills in programming with C#, TypeScript, React, Microsoft Azure, and SQL, while also gaining experience with professional software development processes and agile methodologies. This year significantly improved my communication, teamwork, presentation skills, and overall confidence,’ Miranda notes.

Miranda’s advice to fellow students is to embrace the opportunity of a placement year as it offers invaluable real-world experience and practical skills that go beyond what is taught at university.

Ashwin: Cracking the UK market at Skills Development Scotland

Ashwin’s placement year with Skills Development Scotland in Glasgow was all about gaining UK experience before graduation. As an international student, Ashwin recognised the challenges of breaking into the UK job market, and his placement provided him with the practical experience and confidence needed to overcome these obstacles. "The placement year taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses, and how to carry myself in a professional environment" Ashwin reflects.

His advice to fellow students is to stay open to learning new things and to not be afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone.

The success of the Professional Training placement programme is evident in the numbers. A remarkable 95% of students who completed a placement entered graduate-level employment or further education according to Graduate Outcomes 2023, HESA. This is 14% higher than those who did not participate in a placement. This statistic highlights the significant advantage that placements provide in today’s job market. As Stella puts it:

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