Doing a placement was a requirement in order to complete my degree. Putting the information, I learnt into practice and testing out an element of marketing was a great opportunity. Doing it abroad was an even bigger opportunity.

Support on offer

BU offer language classes in Spanish, German, Arabic and others which can help you learn the basics which will help you to submerse yourself once there. The BU website gives more information on this

At first, I thought money was a bit of concern, but BU offers funding which is now through the turing scheme but was different when I went on placement. This enabled me to be able to go abroad and for it to be a financially viable option. I managed to live comfortable of this and the money I earnt (150 euros a month before tax). However, food and accommodation were included which did help. Alongside this, student finance is available during the placement year although I didn’t need it.

Before going on placement, it was advised to have a meeting with the careers team, and I did have two to make sure my CV was all up to date and to explain the options available to me. On my course, we also had a unit where we came up with our own assessment center activity and completed in one other groups. This is a standard thing during recruitment whilst doing placements and/or graduate jobs in the UK. Whilst on the placement there are supervisors. For me, I only spoke to my supervisor through video calls because neither me nor my work saw the value in them visiting but normally it is 1 telephone call and 1 in person visit.

How I enhanced my Employability

Going abroad I found a newfound perspective on language, culture, independence and education. All of these are skills that employers love. I also found more confidence within myself and my capabilities which has come through in interviews. It has also showcased my willingness to travel and be open to new experiences. Of course, it has enhanced my employability in the sense of giving me experience as I completed 30 weeks for placement and continued to work from home for the same company throughout final year.

What did I do and how did it differ to working in the UK?

I did the social media for different hotels, pub and travel agency alongside the companies, responded to reviews and did translations from Spanish to English whilst in Tenerife. When I worked with AztecMedia before going, I created marketing packs and more adminy type things with the receptionist admitting it was her tasks I was completing. This made me feel like in the UK there would be more handholding, simpler tasks and lots of training. Whereas, abroad there was more initial trust and getting stuck in whilst learning on the job. Although basics about what I need to do was explained and documents given explaining everything. This has overall given me more experience and a better understanding of the things I want to actually be doing in a job. Another difference I noted was that abroad has a better work/life balance and people wanted to go out and explore or do things rather than just chilling at home and not doing much after work because you’re tired then maybe going on nights out.  From stories I personally heard, people who went abroad enjoyed it more.

If going abroad for any reason has ever crossed your mind, then my advice is to absolutely go for it! It will be an experience that you won’t forget in a hurry.

Find out more

Placements explained