Name: Rishi Matharu

Course: BA Communication and Media

Placement Job Title: Senior Business Development Specialist

Placement Company: Astute, www.astute.com

Three words to describe your placement: Challenging, Motivational, Aspiring

Most interesting part of your placement: Supporting the new starters and also learning the various roles within the realm of marketing

Hardest aspect of your placement: Getting into the routine; so different to student life!

Most enjoyable aspect of your placement: The social aspect and doing something that I really enjoy

What have you learned that you never thought you would have this year: I am more work driven and motivated than I thought I was.

What has given you the most satisfaction during placement year so far: Doing something I have enjoyed whilst being offered the opportunity to make money on commission.

Two tips for future placement students: Start placement search early and also make the most of the BU Careers support

One example of how BU supported you during your placement: Meeting up with my Placement Development Advisor and keeping in touch with her throughout the experience

How have you changed both personally and professional: I am more independent as this has woken me up to how the real world will be after graduation.

How has your placement helped focus your future plans: I am now committed to my aspirations as dreams do come true through hard work.

Feedback from the Company – Simon Rowell, EE / BT Operations Manager and Kornelia Soroczynska, In House Recruiter

What was it about your placement student that secured them the position with you: Rishi was confident and it was clear that he was hungry to learn and gain experience. He managed to convince me (In –house recruiter and well as one of our Directors) that he was suitable for the role.

What has it been like having your placement student on the team: He is a good member of the team, takes feedback on well, works well with other new starters, and is hard working.

What 3 essential things do you expect to see on a student CV applying for a placement:  Tenacity, drive and the willingness to learn.

As an employer would you rather see a short or long placement on a graduate CV, and why: A longer placement would indicate that the candidate had a chance to learn more and actually experience the role and working environment.

Any advice for students wanting to apply for a placement at your company: Preparing for an interview bearing in mind the role and what it entails, as any recruiter would be looking for certain qualities even at a preliminary stage of the application process

What do you think students should focus on when applying for a placement: Focus less on what they studied and more on experience and its relevance to the role.

Any other comments: We enjoy working with placement students and every year look forward to new personalities joining our teams. We currently employ 20 placement students across the business.